Sins of The Father
by Autumn Artist
Summary: When Dave and Dirk's father comes back into the picture; he jeopardizes Dirk's legal custody over Dave.
1. Unexpected Surprise

I know I said that I would leave the poll up on my page up for two weeks. But if I wanted to get either of these stories in before I started back college, I'd have to act fast.

So I picked the highest ranking vote on the poll.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you 'Sins of The Father'.

Sins of The Father

Chapter 1: Unexpected Surprise

In all his 30 years of life, Dirk Strider can honestly say that he does not have one memory of his and Dave's father. He had seen an old picture of their mother with another man, and growing up and even today he could only assume that that man in those pictures with their mother was their father. Their Mother, Cynthia, never spoke much of their father growing up. All he knew is what she briefly told him over the years. He was tall, probably as tall as Dirk is now, had dark hair and brown eyes; and apparently from what Cynthia mentioned more than a few times, he was a business man that loved work more than his family. That probably explained why he never saw him. But one thing that Dirk could vouch for his father was that he took care of them. Every month, he would send Cynthia a healthy sum of money to take care of the family. But, after Cynthia's death 13 years ago, those checks stopped coming. It was like he just forgot, or didn't care, about his children after Cynthia died. Since then, Dirk had not seen or heard anything from their father in 13 years. And he could honestly care less if he ever did.

'How can you just forget about your children like that! Well forget him! Me and Dave got along just fine without him! I never had him in my life and Dave doesn't need him either! I'm the closest thing to a father that Dave has ever had than that man will ever be! Hell, Dave thought I was his father until he was 2! Who needs him!', Dirk's mind ranted as he sat his computer desk.

While he was fiddling around on his website, he got a pesterchum message from someone called "SoulSearcher"

"SoulSearcher stared pestering timaeusTestified at 14:29"

SS: Hello Dirk, I finally found you.

tT: uh, dude? Who the hell are you?

SS: Where are my manners? My name is Derrick Strider, I'm your father.

tT: ha! Yeah right!

'How is this cat? He thinks that he can mess with the Strider, then he's got another thing come!'

SS: No, I'm serious. I AM your biological father.

tT: yeah, and I'm the Prince of Wales. Now if you don't mind, I have a kid to go pick up from school.

SS: WAIT WAIT! You have a son?

tT: well if what YOU claim to be is true, then he is YOUR son.

tT: however he might as well be mine. I've raised him since birth, no help from you!

SS: Dirk, I had no idea. I swear I didn't. Cynthia never told me she was pregnant.

tT: wait, how did you know our mother's name?

SS: I told you SON, I AM your father.

Dirk sat there, wide eyed at the screen. Could it be? Could this man, who just popped up outta now where, really be their father?

SS: I'll prove it to you. Your mother is Cynthia Grace. She had beautiful, long blonde hair and amber eyes. Whenever I would gaze into her eyes, I would refer to them as my gems. She was the most beautiful woman that I have ever laid my eyes on, even to this day. She was a genuinely kind hearted soul. She loved helping other people. And after she found out she was pregnant with you, I gave her gold locket.

Every memory that Dirk has of their mother, she was always wearing a gold locket. Whenever he would ask her about it, she would always say it was from the man that stole her heart. She was buried with that locket.

That's when it finally fit Dirk.

tT: oh my God. You, you really are my, our father.

tT: oh my God!

SS: It's been a long time, Dirk. Too long. Words cannot express how deeply sorry I am for not being there for you two over the years! After the checks started coming back is when I realized that something had happened to Cynthia. I was heart broken when I learned that she had been killed! You have to believe me Dirk! For years, I tried to find you, but I couldn't on my own. I ended up hiring a private investigator. And now I've finally found you!

tT: for 13 years? In 13 years, you couldn't pick up a Houston phone book and look under 'Strider'. There's only a handful of Striders over here 'Dad', we wouldn't have been too hard to find.

SS: I know but let me explain

tT: and what about Dave 'Dad'? All his life, he has never known that he's had a father! I mean hell, he thought I was his father until he was two!

SS: Son, please. You have to listen.

SS: I will never forgive myself for all the time I've lost with you both. I know I didn't handle things very well. But you have to understand. I didn't know anything was wrong. Your mother kept her number unlisted so it was hard to keep track. That's why I couldn't just pick up a phone book and find you. The checks started coming back about 6 years ago. They had been detained for some reason. I guess after a certain period of time, when checks go unclaimed, they get sent back to their senders. That's when I realized that something was wrong. I searched and searched until I found the truth. That my beloved Cyndi, had been killed in a car wreck. I was heart broken. I didn't know what to think. I was so caught up in work that I couldn't track you down on my own. I ended up hiring a private investigator about 3 years ago. His findings lead me straight to you!

Dirk starred at the screen for a few moments. Really unsure of what to think of it all.

tT: I, I don't know what to say.

SS: There's no excuse for all the time I've lost. I realize now that I've put work infront of family for far too long. I want to be apart of your's and David's lives. After all these years, I know you probably don't want anything to do with me. And you have every right not to. But please son, let me know about David. What's he like?

Dirk smirked a little

tT: He's, he's great. Wonderful kid. He's my little man. He's got blond hair, red eyes, but he wears sunglasses all the time. He has a severe addiction to apple juice. He's into D. and sword fighting. We have our little strifes every now and then. He's my mini me. I don't know what I'd do without him.

SS: He sounds wonderful Son! You've done a great job raising him!

tT: I done the best I could.

SS: I'm real proud of you both. I'm sure your mother feels the same way.

tT: yeah

Maybe, maybe he should give this guy a chance.

tT: look, I'm sorry about earlier. I was just mad. And even though you couldn't be there for me when I was growing up, that doesn't mean you still can't be there for Dave. Right? I don't want him to grow up not knowing his father.

SS: All is forgiven my Son. You had every right to get angry. With your permission, I'd like to meet you and David sometime. If that's okay with you.

Dirk still didn't know if wanted to meet this guy in person or not. He didn't know if he wanted this guy around Dave. I mean, really for all he knew, this guy's could've just been some tool looking to get some kicks. But how did he know all that stuff about their mother if he wasn't their father?

SS: I understand if you don't want to, or feel that it's not in David's best interest.

tT: No, no I do want to meet you. It's just that everything, you know happened so fast. I mean an hour ago, I had no idea that you cared about us. For all I knew, you just forgot or didn't care about us now that Mom's gone.

SS: I understand that you felt that way, and I am so sorry that you did. But hear me when I tell you that I never forgot or didn't care about you! Every spare moment went to looking for you.

SS: Please, let me see you, both of you. If not just a picture.

Dirk just didn't have the heart to deny a man the right to see his sons. He knew that if he just found Dave that he would do anything to get to see him again.

tT: okay. I'll send you a couple of pictures. But, to make sure that you really are our dad. Send us a picture of mom.

SS: Fair enough.

After a few moments, Dirk received an email from SS. The picture he sent Dirk was they exact same picture Dirk recalled seeing all those years ago. In the picture was Cynthia Strider in the arms of taller, dark haired, brown eyed man, their father.

It really was him, SS was really Dirk and Dave's father Derrick

SS: It's the only picture I have of us together.

tT: you, you really REALLY are our father!

SS: I told you so.

Dirk held up his end and sent Derrick a picture of him and Dave on the couch together. And then another one of Dave asleep on the couch. It was one of Dirk's personal favorites. It was one of the rare moments where he actually caught Dave on camera without his shades. He was curled up on one end of the couch and the shades in his hand.

SS: that younger boy, is that David?

tT: yeah. That's my little man

SS: He's beautiful Dirk! He looks so much like you and Cyndi. He has his mother's face!

tT: you wouldn't be the first to say that. Up till he was 5 or 6 people thought he was girl. Some still do.

SS: He's definitely gonna be a heart breaker.

Dirk couldn't help but laugh a bit. He had to admit it, his brother definitely did take after him.

tT: Hey listen. I gotta go pick up Dave from school in a little bit, so I'm gonna have to go. But I'd love to keep in touch. And maybe we can arrange a meeting sometime. I know you must be busy all the time and I work at nights and Dave is fixing to be out of school for the summer. So any time that is convenient for you is convenient for us. But I'd have to talk to him first.

SS: Okay, that's perfectly understandable. I won't let my work get in the way this time. I promise. You talk to David and let me know okay?

tT: Okay, well I gotta go. It was great talking with you Dad. I'll be seeing you around.

SS: You take care Son. I'll see both you soon.

"SoulSearcher stopped pestering timaeusTestified at 14:55"

"Well, all that was unexpected.", Dirk couldn't help but wonder how Dave will take to the news.


	2. Setting Up The Meeting

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Chapter 2: Setting Up The Meeting

"What?", Dave question after his brother told him that he just had an encounter with their long 'lost' father. Dirk told him everything. How their dad was always caught up in work, but always sent money to them. He told Dave that he could never contact them because he didn't know their number, and that he realized something was wrong when we got the checks back in the mail. He said that their dad had no idea that their mother had died in a car accident. And that when he finally did find out that he put all his spare time into finding him. But after no luck, he ended up hiring a private investigator to track him down. And after three long years, he had finally found him.

"Are you sure that it's him?" "It has to be. Who else would know all that stuff about Mom AND have her exact same picture?", Dirk said as he drove home from picking up Dave from school.

"Well, what else did he say?", Dave couldn't help but ask. "He said that he could never forgive himself for missing out in our lives and not being there for us. He said that even though he couldn't be in my life growing up, that he would like to be in yours. And he'd said he'd like to meet us some time. What do you say Little Man?"

Dave really didn't know what to think. He didn't know if he wanted to meet this man in person or not. It all just seemed to happen a little fast to him. First this guy just pops up and says that he's their father and during the same conversation he says that he wants to meet with them. It all just seemed kinda iffy to Dave.

'But on the other hand; what if this guy really is dad? I mean, if he is then he certainly had a right to see his sons. Hell, he must be to convince Bro. Maybe I should give this guy a chance.' "I wanna see him; BUT, I wanna make sure that he's the real deal before we agree to meet with this guy.", Dave told his bro. "Sounds like a plan, Little Man."

"timaeusTestified started pestering SoulSearcher"

tT: hey dad, ya there?

SS: Why hello Son! Good to hear from you again! Did you get to talk to David?

tT: I did. He said he wanted to meet with you.

SS: That's wonderful! I can't wait to meet you both!

tT: BUT, he said that he wanted to make sure that you were the real deal.

SS: Ahh, a very inspective young man isn't he? He must get that from me.

Dirk laughed a bit.

tT: yeah, he is. We're at home now, incase you want to talk with him.

SS: Oh course! I'd love to!

tT: okay, I told him to log on.

Dirk hollers to Dave in the other room. "Hey Little Man, log onto your computer. Dad wants to talk to you." "Okay.", Dave hollers back.

"TurntechGodhead joins the conversation between SoulSearcher and timaeusTestified"

tT: Dave, this is dad, dad this is Dave.

TG: hello?

SS: David?

TG: Yes?

SS: Hello David! How are you?

TG: Good, can't complain. How are you?

SS: I'm doing fine Son, thanks for asking.

SS: Your brother told me so much about you!

TG: whoa whoa whoa, hold up.

TG: before we start the dialog, I've gotta few questions for you 'dad'.

SS: Okay, ask away.

TG: first question, what's our mom's birthday?

SS: June 21, the official first day of Summer. June 21, 1960 to be exact.

TG: okay, next question.

TG: what was her favorite color?

SS: Yellow, she said it reminded her of the sun and it's light that it gave to all creatures.

Okay, so far so good. But Dave still had one more question to ask. Something that truly only their REAL dad would know.

TG: okay, so far so good. But I've got one more question for ya. This is something only our REAL dad would know.

TG: mom had a locket that she told my Bro that it was from the man who stole her heart. What was inscribed in that locket?

That was a question that not even Dirk knew. If he could answer this, then there was no doubt about it, Derrick really was their biological father.

SS: Inside that locket, I had inscribed 'In my heart, always and forever'. I believe she told me she put a picture of us and your brother in it.

Yep, now there was no doubt about it. Derrick was Dirk and Dave's biological father.

TG: wow. You, you really are our father aren't you?

SS: I've been searching so long David. And now that I've finally found you both, won't you let me into your lives?

tT: what'd say Little Man?

TG: well, the man is our dad after all. I say we give him a chance Bro.

SS: OH THAT'S WONDERFUL! Thank you so much for allowing me to be apart of your loves after all these years!

TG: np Dad.

SS: I can't wait to finally meet you David! Both you and your brother!

TG: PLEASE, call me Dave. Whenever I hear my first name being called, I always think that I'm in trouble.

SS: Haha, okay Dave. Are you a trouble maker?

TG: eh, not too much. Bro told me that if he ever had to go and pick me up from jail that he was gonna kick my ass every day, everytime he thought about it. And Bro doesn't joke around.

tT: yeah and you better remember that too!

All three laughed on their ends.

SS: So Dave, how was school?

TG: oh you mean the 6th layer of hell? Good I guess. Same thing different day. Wake up at an ungodly hour in the morning, fight to stay wake all day, get yelled at by teachers, and showing the other kids who's boss.

SS: Do you get good grades?

TG: mostly Bs. The teachers say I could get As if I try hard enough.

SS: You need to aim for those As Dave. A little effort now will get you a long way later in life.

TG: yeah, I know.

SS: I'll tell you what; if you promise to do your best, and get mostly As from now on. On your 16th birthday, I'll get you any car you want. How does that sound?

TG: hhmmmm, any car I want you say?

SS: Any car.

TG: challenge accepted. You're on old man!

SS: Haha atta boy!

tT: yeah, we'll see how long that lasts.

SS: Ah come on Dirk, have faith in your little brother. I believe he can do it.

tT: again, we'll see now long that lasts.

TG: you just wait and see Bro! Dad, on my 16th birthday you better be ready to pony up!

SS: Haha, that's my boy!

SS: Oh no. Boys I am so sorry, but I'm gonna have to let you two go. I just got called to an important business meeting.

TG: oh okay, It was great talking with you dad!

tT: yeah same here.

SS: The pleasure is all mine boys!

SS: Hey, I'm taking next week off. How about I come and see you boys? I know it'll be much easier for me to come and visit you two than it would be for you to come and visit me. How does that sound?

tT: that sounds good, I've got nothing planned for next week. What about you Dave?

TG: yeah, next week is good.

SS: Wonderful! How does next Monday sound at about 4'o clock at your place?

tT: sounds good.

SS: Okay well I will see you both next Monday at 4'o clock.

tT: okay, sounds good. See ya later dad.

TG: bye dad!

SS: Goodbye boys!

"SoulSearcher stopped pestering timaeusTestified and Turntech Godhead at 15:58"

tT: hey Dave, you gone hold up? You really gonna do your best and get those As?

TG: I'm gonna try.

tT: good.

tT: hey Dave, how did you know that mom's locket was inscribed?

TG: I didn't, I figured that if it was, than only our real dad would know.

tT: I like the way you think Little Man. Good job.

TG: thanks

"Turntech Godhead stopped pestering timaeusTestified at 16:00"

"Well, ready or not, here he comes.", Dirk said leaning back in his chair.


	3. First Encounter

You guys seriously, SERIOUSLY do not know how much I appreciate all the reviews and favorites and subscriptions! You guys ROCK on SO MANY FREAKING LEVELS, IT JUST WARPS THE BRAIN! Thank you, THANK YOU SOOOOOOOO MUCH!

And a special thanks Fade for clearing that up for me. Thank you so much for helping understand that. Maybe one day, I will eventually finish reading Homestuck.

* * *

Chapter 3: First Encounter

*knock knock*

"Dave, can you get that? I think that's Dad.", Dirk called else where from the apartment, trying to pick up the last bit of clutter from around the place before their old man showed up. He didn't want the old man to think that they were t-total slobs. You can never go back on a first impression.

"Sure thing Bro.", Dave got up from the table from doing his, dare I say it, homework.

That's right, Dave Strider was doing homework. He had every intention on winning that bet their dad made him. And so far, he had kept to it. His teachers were shocked when he started turning in his homework on time and started participating in class for often. His math teacher asked him who bribed him. In which Dave proudly proclaimed, "My father did!"

Dave really wasn't tall enough yet to see through the peep hole, so he easily poked his head out the door to the man standing outside of it.

"Can I help you?", Dave questions, not recognizing the tall, dark headed man behind the door.

"Well, you could start by giving your old man a hug.", Derrick Strider smirks, looking down at his youngest son.

"Dad?", Dave looks up at the man and immediately senses something odd about the man. He just had this intimidating feel to him.

"Hello David!", Derrick leans down and opens up his and embraces his arms around his small frame. Dave slowly wraps his arms around his father's shoulders, really unsure of what to think of the man.

'C'mon Strider, he's your dad after all. Give him a chance!'

"Hey Dad! It's, it's good to finally meet you!", Dave through on a smile. "It's good to finally meet you too Son!", Derrick smiled.

"Dave? Is that Dad?", Dirk said coming to the door. "Why hello Dirk!", Derrick said as he released Dave. Dirk smiled, "Hey Dad!". The elder Strider sibling embraced their father, "It's so good to meet you!" "Oh Dirk, it's so good to finally meet you! Meet both of you, both my boys!"

"Oh please, come in!", Dirk invited the man in, "Sorry, it's not a mansion or anything, but it's all we need." "That's perfectly alright, Son. It looks quite cozy if you ask me.", Derrick said looking around the room. "Can I get you anything Dad?", Dirk asked. "No, no son I'm quite alright. Tell me, how have you two been?", Derrick smiled as he sat on the futon. "We're been good.", Dirk joined him on the futon, "It's been tough at times, but we made it." Derrick looked at his eldest son with somber, apologetic eyes, "Son, I am so so sorry for not being there for either of you. I know that there is nothing that I can do to make up for all the time I've lost. But maybe, we can make a start. Please, if there is anything, ANYTHING that I can do for either of you, PLEASE let me know." Dirk smirked a little, "Well, you could start by taking us out to eat." Derrick laughed a bit, "Alright. We can go anywhere you two want to go. My treat." Dirk and Dave looked at each other and smiled.

* * *

"Oh dear Lord,", Derrick leaned back in his seat stuffed from his meal, "That was the best steak that I have had in a long time." "What did I tell ya Dad? Best steak this side of Amarillo.", Dirk said. "Dave, how was your steak?", Derrick ask. Which Dave responded by looking up from gnawing the bone on what was his steak. "I'll take that as a good.", Dirk said. "So Dave, how's are the grades coming?", Derrick asked. "Good,", Dave said, wiping his mouth, "I made an A on a history test Friday." "That's wonderful! Making good on the bet, huh?" "Damn skippy. My teacher said that she studied it three times to make sure that it was right." "That's great Dave. I'm real proud of you. Keep it up and you'll be getting a car for your 16th birthday. And always remember that you can do and be anyone you set out to be." "I intend on it." "That's my boy.", Derrick smiled at his youngest son.

"Dad, that was delicious!", Dave said as the trio made their way back to the apartment. "I'm glad you enjoyed it Dave.", Derrick wrapped his arm around his shoulders as Dirk opened the door to the apartment. "Make yourself at home Dad.", Dirk said as the three walked onto the living room. "Do you want any coffee?", Dirk asked. "Actually, I would like a cup. Thank you." Dirk poured their dad and himself a cup when it was done. "Here you go.", Dirk said handing him the cup. "Thank you Son."

"So Dirk, how have you been?", Derrick said, taking a sip from his coffee. "I've been doing good. Working, taking care of Little Man. Basically same thing, different day." "And what exactly is your occupation?" "I mostly D.J. at this club downtown called Stringer, but recently I've been getting requests to D.J. in other cities. The farthest one was in Miami." "My goodness." "I manly work on Fridays-Sundays, sometimes Wednesday-Sunday. From about 8-4 most nights. And on Spring Break, I can easily find myself working 7 days a week." "And who watches Dave while you work?" "No one. I let him stay by himself." Derrick gave him a rather displeased look. He didn't like the idea of his youngest son staying by himself alone at nights. But, he didn't say anything in protest. "All I'm going to say is that it's not a very wise decision to leave a young boy alone at night by himself." "He's fine Dad. I check up on him and if he needs anything, he calls me." "Okay.", Derrick simply stated.

"So Dave, what do you want to be when you grow up?" "I wanna become a music artist and create sick beats like Bro." Derrick didn't approve of that either. But, like with Dirk, he didn't protest in the manner. Instead, he put on a fake smile for his son. "Are you looking to release albums?" "Yeah." "Good, and who knows. Maybe someday, Dirk will be spinning your records." Both Dave and Dirk laughed at that.

* * *

The next few hours were spent conversing about each other's lives. Derrick explained how he and Cynthia had met. It was just an accidental run in that brought the two together. Cynthia was just 17 when she ran into Derrick Strider almost 31 years ago. Cynthia was a high school drop out due to her father's death and now the partial bread winner of her family. Derrick was 19 and a freshman at Harvard Business School. He was walking by the diner where she worked as a waitress; when the beautiful, striking blonde caught his eyes. He immediately rushed into the diner and sat down with her. The two talked and talked for hours until the diner closed. Cynthia told Derrick of her situation and offered to help her any way he could. He then gave Cynthia enough money to pay for her family's expenses for a month. After that night the two just clicked. The began dating, and on Cynthia's 18th birthday, Derrick proposed to her. But, his father found out about the engagement, and told him that if he didn't break it off, that he would be completely disinherited. Caught between a rock and a hard place, he very reluctantly broke off the engagement. When Cynthia told Derrick she was pregnant, with his child, Derrick told her that after the baby was born to change her last name to Strider. Even if he couldn't marry her, she and the baby will have his name, and he will always be able to care for them. After the baby was born, Cynthia told him that she named him after him, Dirk.

Derrick goes on to tell them that after Dirk was born, he began to see Cynthia less and less frequently. He worked for his father's company and his father always kept him on a tight leash. Making him do this and do that, giving him little, if any spare time to write let alone see Cynthia and his child. He tried to make up for it by sending them a healthy sum of money each month. Where Cynthia didn't have to work, so she could stay home and take care of their son.

When he did manage to find time to meet with Cynthia, he jumped at it. He said he regretted deeply how he didn't include Dirk in those times. He said the last time he and Cynthia saw each other was in May of 95. Six months before Dave's untimely birth and Cynthia's death.

Upon hearing their dad's story, Dave felt bad for the man, and was a little angry at himself. Here was this man, trying to reconnect with his sons after so many years; and here was Dave barely wanting to give the man a chance at first. He felt so guilty that he didn't hardly want anything to do with the man when he first laid eyes on his just hours ago. Dave felt that he could finally accept the man as his father.

Like Dave, Dirk also felt guilty for not hardly wanting to give the man a chance. Just 24 hours ago, he was angry at their father for not being their for them and could careless if he ever saw their father. Now he could honestly say that he was ready to accept the man into his and Dave's lives as their father.

Both Strider siblings embrace their father in a huge, warm Strider family hug.

"I love you both, always!", Derrick said embracing his sons. "We love you too Dad!", both siblings said simultaneously.

* * *

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	4. Happily Never Ever After?

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* * *

Chapter 4: Happily (Never) Ever After?

Dave woke up the next morning, bright and early. He instinctively reaches for his sunglasses on his nightstand and looks around the room. He immediately realizes that his surroundings are completely different than that when he had fallen asleep. He was in his room. The last thing he remembers was piling up on the futon, watching old home videos with his bro and dad.

'Bro must've carried me in here when I fell asleep.' As he had done multiple times before.

As Dave made his way out of his room, he heard what sounded like laughter coming from the kitchen.

"Awww, look at this one.", Derrick said pointing to a picture of baby Dave in one of the many photo albums that he and Dirk were looking at on the table. "Yeah, he had just started crawling in that picture.", Dirk smiled over the image.

He and Derrick had been up for hours looking at old photo albums.

"Bro? Dad? What are y'all doing?", Dave asks as he walks into the kitchen.

"Good morning Dave! How did you sleep?", Derrick asked. "Good." "We were just looking at some old photo albums. You were such an adorable baby. You still are.", Derrick doted as Dave looked over his and Dirk's shoulders to see what they were looking at.

"Hey Little Man. Dad went and got us some breakfast this morning. It's on the stove.", Dirk said, "If you plan on eating, you'd better hurry. You've got to be at school soon." "K, thanks."

Dave fixed himself a plate of waffles, bacon, and eggs and sat down by his bro at the table. "So Dave, how many more weeks of school do you have left before you get out for the summer?", Derrick asked. "Two, thank God." "What will you be going into then?" "The 7th layer of hell, high school." "Ahhh, come on Son. High school's not that bad." "I beg to differ. CNN survey once said that high school was the worst years of a child's life." "Well, just remember to always to do your best and don't let anyone get you down.", Derrick reassured his youngest son.

Dave finished his breakfast as peacefully as he could with his father and brother beside him, pestering him with every other photo they saw. Dave then quietly slipped into his room, and dressed in his normal attire for the day. Red and white long sleeved T-shirt with the broken record on in, black Levi's, and red converses. "You're not going to school in that are you?", Derrick questioned the moment he saw Dave step back into the kitchen. "What? This is what I normally wear. What's wrong with it?" Derrick gave Dave another one of his disapproving looks. "We're definitely going clothes shopping after school." "Okay, cool.", Dave simply said as he grabbed his backpack. 'Sweet, free stuff.', Dave thought in the back of his mind, as the three walked out the door to take Dave to school.

* * *

"What about this Dave?", Derrick handed Dave another shirt in the dressing room of the department store that he took them to almost immediately after he and Dirk picked Dave up from school. "Yeah, I like it.", Dave said, trying on yet another button up shirt. It's the fifth shirt he's tried on in the past 15 minutes. "Here, try these pants too." "Okay." And this was the fourth pair of pants. Since Derrick didn't approve of any of the clothes that Dave had picked out, saying that a young man should dress as such and not a 'sloppy thug' as he put it, Dave just let Derrick pick the clothes out for him. And so far, he's done good. Dave had to admit it, the man did have good taste. He only had to send back one thing he picked out for him.

Dirk just sat in the dressing room while Dave was changing. He really did appreciate everything their dad was doing for them. Derrick had even offered Dirk if he would like anything, which Dirk respectfully declined. Saying that Dave needed some decent clothes worse than he did. But, Dirk did begin to notice something about their dad. He was, pushy. Almost demanding at times. Dirk really didn't think nothing of it though. He just figured that being in business so long, that you kinda can't help but to be a little pushy at times if you wanted to get anything done.

"How's it coming Little Man?" "Good.", Dave panted from pulling the pants up. "Getting tired already?", Dirk laughed a little. "Man, I don't know how all these women do it." "Me neither Little Man, me neither."

"So, let's see how you look Dave.", Derrick said, stepping back into the dressing room. Dave stepped out and wowed his father and his brother. He was wearing a red button up shirt and a pair of blackish jeans. He looked like a model right out of a magazine. It seemed that clothes really did make the man.

"Oh Dave! You look so handsome. You show up to school like that tomorrow, and the girls will be running over themselves just to get to you.", Derrick doted over his son. "Why thank ya Dad. Heh, I do clean up pretty nice don't I?", Dave said looking at himself in the mirror. "Damn Little Man, you look sharp.", Dirk said, "A regular stud muffin. You take after me too much." "Yeah yeah, you only wished you looked this good when you were my age.", Dave playfully retorted to his brother.

Derrick watched as his two sons playfully picked at one another. And he was almost envious of their relationship. True, Dirk did raise Dave since he was born, but he was his brother, not his father. In Derrick's eyes, they should have a brother-brother relationship, not a father-son relationship. HE was their father after all, and to Derrick, HE should have the fatherly role. Not Dirk.

"Hey Dad, you okay?", Dave asked. "Huh?, yeah I'm fine Son. Just thinking that's all.", Derrick answered. "You bought ready to go?", Derrick asked Dave. "Yes sir. I think we're good." "Good."

Derrick had picked out Dave five shirts, four pairs of pants, and two new pairs of shoes. Dave had told him over and over that he didn't need to do all this for him, but Derrick kept insisting. Saying that it was the least that he could do for him. When they went to checkout, the lady at the counter kept swooning over how adorable Dave was. Derrick began to get really annoyed at the woman when she asked Dirk if he was the boy's father. Derrick was about to say something, when Dirk answered, "No actually, I'm his brother. This is our father.", Dirk said pointing to Derrick. The woman apologized and Dirk laughed it off, but Derrick wasn't so amused. He was more than happy to finally leave the store when the lady finally handed over the receipt.

* * *

Dave went to school the next day in true 'Strider Style' as he put it. When he walked down the hallway, people literally stopped and turned their heads to the gravitational force that was the Strider. Even Jade and John were shocked to see him in such a new attire. "Ladies, ladies. Calm your orgasms, Strider is in the house.", Dave said sitting next to his two friends. "Wow Dave, you look," "Great?", Dave finished for Jade. "Yeah.", Jade swooned. "What's with the get up?", John asked, "Did you rob a department store or something?" "Nah, my dad's in town this week. He took me shopping yesterday." "How is everything going with your dad by the way?" "Everything's going great! He always tells me to do my best at everything, that I can be anything and anyone I want to be if I set my mind to it. I don't think he really approves of my idea of become a music artist though. I think he wants me to go into business, like he did. But hey, it's my life." "How are he and Bro getting along?" "They're getting along pretty good. They're doing alot of catching up, we all are." "That's good." "Yeah. Like we're a normal family, kinda."

"Hey Dave." Dave was greeted by his father as he climbed his way into Derrick's black Escalade. "How was your day Little Man?", Dirk asked. "Did you break any hearts today, Son?" Dave pulled out his pockets and handed them a small pile of love letters he had received that day, answering their questions. "And that's just from BEFORE lunch." Both Derrick and Dirk laughed.

"Hey Little Man?" "Yeah?" "I got called in tonight, so it looks like it'll be just you and Dad tonight. Okay?" "Okay."

* * *

"We'll be alright, won't we Dave?" "Yes sir, we will.", Dave answered his father.

"You sure that you'll be alright here with Dad?", Dirk asked Dave as he finished getting ready for that night in his room. "Bro, you leave me here all the time here by myself. Why wouldn't I be alright here with Dad?", Dave questioned his brother. Even though the man was their father, Dirk still felt iffy about leaving his little brother alone with a man that they barely knew a week ago. Call it, parental instinct if you will. "Just making sure."

"Alright, I'm off Little Man. Call me if you need anything okay? And don't drive Dad crazy." "Me? Nah, I wouldn't do that.", Dave put on an innocent face. "Yeah yeah.", Dirk kissed the top of his forehead.

"Dad, you sure you can handle Dave by yourself?", Dirk asked before heading out the door. "I got it Son, don't worry. He can't be that bad.", Derrick laughed. "Alright, you need anything just call me okay?" "Will do Son. Have a good 'night'." "Thanks, will do." And with that, Dirk Strider went off to do his thing.

"Dave?" "Yes sir?" "What are you doing?" "Playing video games with John." "Do you have homework to do?" "Yes sir." "Get in here and do your homework, then you can play video games all you want." There were a few moments of silence after that. "Yes sir." Derrick Strider finally heard. "Come on, I'll help you with it." Dave sat down with his father at the table and completed all his homework in a matter of no time.

"There see, that wasn't so hard now was it." "No sir. It actually made since of what the teacher was talking about today.", Dave admitted. "See there. Smart and pretty, the ladies won't be able to keep their hands off of you." Dave smiled at his father's compliment. "Can I go play video games now?" "Sure." Dave was about to turn around and leave when he turned and gave his father a hug. "Thanks Dad." "You are so welcome, my son.", Derrick returned the hug and kissed the top of his forehead.

Okay, that was enough mushy stuff for one day. Dave quietly turned around and made his way back to his room. To drown his 13 year old mind in senseless video games.

Even though it was brief, Derrick felt that he made a great connection with Dave. Atleast he could check one thing off his fatherly to-do list. He couldn't help but wonder if Dirk ever helped Dave with his homework. He highly doubted it.

Every now and then, Derrick would check up on Dave and sometimes sat down with him and played a few rounds of whatever he was playing. He'd always end up loosing, but he felt it was a good way for him to start bonding with his son.

Between 7 and 8, Derrick took Dave out to eat somewhere. The two would talk about whatever peeked their interest.

When it was nearing 10 pm, Derrick felt that was an appropriate bedtime for his young son. So against Dave's many protests about how he stays up much later than this, he shoves him off to bed.

Dirk ended up coming in at 4 in the morning, to find his father asleep in the recliner waiting for his eldest son to get off from work. He went off to grab a couple of blankets from his room, and check up on Dave, who was sound asleep in his own room. Dirk put one blanket over their dad, and covered himself with the other as he laid on the futon.

* * *

That's pretty much how the rest of the week played out at the Strider residence. In the mornings, Derrick would go and get his sons and himself some breakfast. While Dave was at school, Derrick and Dirk would spend some good father-son time. Then when Dave came home, they would all do something together before Dirk headed out to work. While Dirk was working, Derrick made sure that Dave got his homework finished and played video games or watched T.V. with Dave. The two would talk over dinner and at 10 pm, Derrick would send Dave off to bed and watch T.V. while he waited for Dirk to get off from work.

Just during this week, Derrick felt that he had grown closer to his sons than he had anyone in years. He had grown especially close to Dave, more so than Dirk. Dirk was a grown man; he had lived his whole life without him in his life. But Dave was still a child, who Derrick felt desperately needed a father in his life. And to Derrick; even though he was doing his best, Dirk, with his current lifestyle, could never be the father that Dave needed. Derrick felt that Dave needed more stability in his life, and that he would do anything he could to give him that stability.

Dave and Dirk felt that everything was going great with the time that they had with their dad. It seemed that, since Derrick had entered into their lives; that they had grown closer as a family than they had ever been. To them, everything seemed to be going fine. Seemed.


	5. Something Amiss

I really don't know what to say you guys. I know I probably sound like a broken record by now, but seriously…YOU GUYS ROCK! THANK YOU, THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL REVIEWS, FAVORITES, AND SUBSCRIPTIONS!

THEY ALL MEAN TO MUCH TO ME AND I LOVE YOU ALL SOOOOOO MUCH!

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Chapter 5: Something Amiss

The week he spent with his sons came and went all to quickly for Derrick Strider. He felt like he had just gotten to know his sons, and now he had to leave them. He wanted to get closer to his sons, closer to Dave. Two weeks ago, he had no idea that the boy even existed. 13 years of his son's life that he will never get back, and he'd be damned before he missed another moment.

Unless...

"Hey Dirk, can I talk to you a moment?"

"Sure Dad, what's up?"

"How would you and Dave like it if I stayed with you two for a a bit longer?"

"Sure Dad, we'd love it. But what about your work?"

"Oh don't worry about that Son. I can take a sabbatical. There are much more important things in life than work."

"Well, okay.", Dirk gives in to his father's request.

"Wonderful! Thank you so much Son for allowing me to spend more time with my boy..s.", Derrick said.

Dirk caught Derrick's almost slip of the tongue. Dirk did notice that their dad was spending more time with Dave than he did with himself. And Dirk really didn't have a problem with it though. He was sure he'd be the same way if he just found out that he's had a son for 13 years that he had no idea even existed. But still, something about his behavior was little odd to Dirk. He knew something was up, but just couldn't out his finger on it.

"Hey y'all, what's going on?", Dave asked as he walked into the living room. "Good news, Little Man. Dad can stay with us a bit longer.", Dirk said, putting his hand on Dave's shoulder. "Awesome.", Dave smiled. "That's right son.", Derrick embraces his youngest son. "You and I will have much more time to get to know one another.", Derrick whispered in his ear.

Derrick's statement made Dave feel a little, unsettled. Why would he say that Dave, and didn't want Dirk to hear it? Even their hug was getting a bit too uncomfortable. It was prolonged. Dave almost had to shove the man to get him to end it.

Yeah, something was definitely up. But, neither of the Strider brothers knew what.

A few more days passed without much incident. The days were pretty much spent like those of the week before. However, both Strider siblings were starting to notice that their father's behavior was becoming increasing disturbing.

He was opting to spend more and more time with Dave, and was beginning to almost completely ignore Dirk when Dave was around. Dave was beginning to feel more and more uncomfortable to all the attention his father was giving him. It just seemed that everywhere he turned; BAM, there he was. One night, Dave opened his eyes in the middle of the night and he could have sworn he saw Derrick standing over him. Now he was getting a little too close for comfort.

Derrick seemed to be getting a little possessive over Dave. During that 4-5 hour time frame that the three has together before Dirk had to go to work, Derrick always wanted Dave to be closer to him, than his brother. When the three were all sitting on the couch one day watching a movie, Derrick pulled Dave closer to himself. Dave had his friends over one after noon, Derrick didn't like it one bit.

Even when Dave was outside the apartment, Derrick felt like he had to be right behind him. Take the other day as a fine example; after school (and after he finished his homework under the watchful eye of his father) Dave had asked Dirk if he could go to the skate park with John. Dirk of course said yes. And while their father was out for a moment, Dave slipped off. When Derrick returned 30 minutes later, and discovered that Dave was not there, he through an absolute fit. He was hollering and screaming at Dirk. Saying that if he had any ounce of common sense that he would know the dangers of letting a young boy out on the streets in such a huge city. Dirk tried to explain to Derrick that Dave wasn't alone and that he would call him if there was anything wrong. But, Derrick wouldn't listen to any of it. He took off toward the skate park and basically drug Dave home, deaf to his protests. The was the last time Dave really saw his friends outside of school.

After that little incident, Derrick's behavior toward Dirk was becoming increasing erratic. He just seemed to go off at Dirk for whatever reason, over the smallest things. He fussed about everything from Dirk leaving Dave all alone at nights while he worked, to those suggestive smuppets that he found everywhere. Derrick continually argued with Dirk that he should encourage Dave to seek a career elsewhere than the music world. He felt that world wasn't stable enough to sustain oneself, let alone a family. Dirk told him time and time again, that Dave Strider is gone do what Dave Strider wants to do. And that there is no amount of talking into that he or anyone else could do that would change Dave's mind once he had it set on something.

For Dave's sake, Dirk didn't get too into with his dad. But there were somethings that just pissed him off. He didn't like leaving Dave alone anymore than Derrick did, and he would take Dave with him if he could; but sometimes you've just gotta do what you've gotta do. Then Derrick would accuse him of not putting Dave's best interest at heart. THAT is what truly pissed Dirk Strider off. He was providing Dave with the best life that he could give him. Everything that he has ever done from the night Dave was born had been for him. Even letting Derrick into their lives, which Dirk was now deeply regretting, was because Dirk thought that it would be the best thing for Dave.

In those situations, the best thing that Dirk knew what to do to keep from flying off the handle was take a few deep breaths and just walk away. If he didn't, he was pretty sure that he would be arrested for assault before the end of the night.

Things around the Strider household were becoming increasingly tense when Derrick and Dirk were around each other. It was getting to the point where the two could just look at one another wrong, and they would get into it. Dirk was seriously beginning to question if he made the right decision letting Derrick into their lives. Was he an overall good and caring father to Dave? Of course. Derrick was able to provide for Dave what Dirk couldn't. But still, his increasing hostel behavior made him question if he made the right decision.

The tension in the apartment had gotten so bad that after school, Dave just mostly stayed in his room. He DID NOT want to be around those two when they were together. He was secretly beginning to wish that his bro never had let that man into their lives. I mean, everything was going great at first; then, something in Derrick just clicked. Like he was almost a whole other person than when they all met. Dave never personally seen his brother and father go at it, but he could definitely feel the tension between the two. Like trying to walk into a force field.

Dave felt like if he didn't get some sort of escape soon, that he was going to explode.

* DING*

Dave looked over toward his computer, he just got a pesterchum message from John.

'Thank God...'

"ectoBiologist starts pestering Turntech Godhead at 18:45"

EG: Hey Dave, you there?

TG: yeah

EG: How's everything going?

TG: oh man

TG: you know that tension you get when you push two negative magnets together

TG: thats pretty much how it feels around here man

EG: Wow, that bad?

TG: thats just the tip of the iceberg

EG: Duuuuddddeeeee, why doesn't Bro just tell him to, you know, screw off.

TG: i dont know

TG: i wish he would

TG: i mean i know he means well

TG: but the guys a creeper

EG: Dude! You need to tell Bro.

TG: i would if i could man

TG: the man if freaking everywhere

TG: and he and bro look at each other like theyre about to bite eachothers head off

TG: and they keep telling me that everything is fine

TG: let me tell ya

TG: everything is not freaking fine

EG: What exactly is going on?

TG: between him and bro

TG: or me and him

EG: Both

TG: with me

TG: hes been possessive

EG: Possessive?

TG: yeah

TG: like you own something

TG: its like he doesn't want me around bro or anybody else at all

TG: well i gotta news flash for him

TG: he doesnt own me

TG: no body does

EG: What exactly has he done?

TG: well

TG: i told you about the time i thought i saw him standing over me

TG: and im quite positive you remember that time that you guys came over

EG: God, don't remind me...Do you think he stood outside the door the whole time?

TG: i dont know

TG: and i really dont want to know

TG: all i know is that i need to get away

TG: and soon

EG: Well, actually. I asked Dad if you and the girls could stay over tomorrow night. Being that the day after tomorrow is the last day of school. He said it was okay.

TG: egbert

TG: you are a god send

TG: thank you man

EG: Eh, don't mention it. You seem like you could use a break anyway.

TG: oh man

TG: you have no idea

EG: Hey man, I gotta go. I guess I see you tomorrow.

TG: yeah man

TG: thanks again for inviting me

TG: see ya tomorrow

EG: See ya

"ectoBiologist quit pestering Turntech Godhead at 19:01"

"Hey Little Man?", Dirk knocked on Dave's door before entering, "I'm fixing to go okay?" "Can I go with you?", Dave asked. "I wish you could Little Man." "What the hell is going on between you and dad?", Dave sincerely asked his brother. "I don't know. A bunch of crazy shit Little Man, that's all I can say.", Dirk said shaking his head. Dirk looked over at the screen. "Who are you talking too?" "John." "What all did he say?" "Asked me what all's been going on, and shit like that. He said he asked his dad if we could stay with him tomorrow night, and he said we could. Can I Bro?" "You ain't gotta ask me. I'd let you stay over there tonight. But I'd catch hell for it from Dad." "Dafuq is going on with him Bro?" "I don't know, but I've bout had it with him." There was a few more moments of silence. "So right after school tomorrow?" "Yep." "Good. I need to get going Little Man. If you need anything, please call me.", Dirk said looking his baby brother in the eye, not wanting to leave him alone with the man who claims to be their father. "Okay, I will." Dirk kissed his brother on top of the forehead before exiting his room.

"I'm off Dad.", Dirk said as he walked out the door.

"Alright Son.", Derrick said coldly, not even looking up from his paper.

Dirk hated leaving his baby brother with that man. But he really didn't have a choice in the matter. I mean he couldn't bring a 13 year old to a bar. He done it once when Dave was 11 and he almost lost his job. CPS got involved, and over all, it just wasn't pretty. But if he thought Derrick would actually hurt Dave, he could care less about his job, he would personally see to it that that man would never come into contact with them again; or would even be alive for that matter. But like himself, Dirk was certain that Derrick would never do anything to hurt Dave. That was the ONLY reason why he let Derrick stay around for as long as he's been. But still, if he so much as found one hair out of place on his baby's head, the end results wouldn't be pretty.


	6. Confrontation

I've said it before, and I'll say it again until I am blue in the face. YOU GUYS ROCK SOOOOOOO MUCH IT IS UNFREAKING BELIEVABLE!

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I love you all soooooooo much 3!

Please you guys, keep those reviews coming!

Chapter 6: Confrontation

"Okay, Little Man. You got everything.", Dirk asked his brother. "I think so.", Dave said going over everything in his backpack. He, Jade, and Rose were all staying over at John's house for the sleepover that night. With Dirk and Mr. Egbert's consent, Dave had packed enough clothes to stay the weekend at the Egbert's. Dave begged his brother to talk to their dad while he was gone. Dirk promised he would. He really did NOT want to come back home until their dad was gone.

Both Dave and Dirk loved their dad, but with his increasing hostile behavior, life in the Strider household had become extremely difficult, if not flat out impossible, to live with. Neither one of Strider siblings could take it anymore. Something had to give, and soon.

While Derrick was passed out on the futon, Dirk had rushed Dave off to school before he woke up.

"Alright see ya later Little Man, love ya!", Dirk said as he pulled up to the school. "See ya Bro, love you too!" Dirk gave his little brother a hug before he exited the vehicle. "Be good for Mr. Egbert.", Dirk called out the window. "I will.", Dave hollered back. Dirk didn't pull off until he saw Dave met up with John and Jade and made it into the school.

Dirk nervously drove off toward home. 'What if I couldn't talk some sense into Dad? What if I just make things worse? C'mon Dirk, snap out of it! You've gotta do it, for Dave.'

To Dirk's surprise, when he snuck back into the apartment, their father was no where in sight. He called out a few times, and even looked around in a couple of rooms, but he couldn't find Derrick anywhere. Maybe he already split? 'Ha, good riddance. Now we can get some peace and quiet around here.', Dirk thought as he laid down on the futon. He closed his eyes and tried to get at least a few minutes of decent shut eye.

"DIRK!"

'Damn...So much for that idea.'

"IT IS WELL AFTER 3PM. WHERE IS DAVID? WERE YOU TOO LAZY TO PICK HIM UP AND LET HIM WALK HOME?", Derrick screamed at his eldest son.

"Dad, calm down for just a minute okay.", Dirk said sitting up from the futon, "It's alright. Dave's staying at his friend's house. He's okay." Dirk tried to reassure their father. "And how can you be sure of this? How do you know that he's okay?" "Because Dad, I just know okay.", Dirk said as calmly as he could. "Proves how much you know. You're not his father!", Derrick hollered in reply.

All right, that does it. It's Dirk have a little talk with their dear old dad. Man to man.

"Dad, why don't you have a seat. We need to talk."

"Dad, what the heck is going on? Why have you been acting so crazy lately?", Dirk sat his father down at the kitchen table and asked as calmly as he could. Derrick just through on a smirk and almost cockily said, "I'm just concerned for the well being of my child, that's all. I do not agree with the way David is being brought up. A young boy such as him, needs more structure in his life. And I am afraid that you cannot provide that for him, Dirk."

Okay, Dirk was starting to get angry now.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean!", Dirk spat.

With that, Derrick smirks and hands Dirk the paper that was hidden in his coat pocket. "I filed for custody of David, Dirk."

Dirk, wide eyed, just stared down at the paper that was just placed in his hands. Everything was filled out, all he needed was just Dirk's signature and...Nonononono. This couldn't be happening! No, it couldn't! Derrick couldn't; no, Dirk wouldn't let him take his baby brother. If Derrick thought that he would give up Dave just like that, he had another thing coming!

Dirk looked up at the man, and his vision just went red. Dirk lunged at Derrick and punched his face hard enough to send him flying across the room. When Derrick landed, Dirk walked up to him and pulled him by his shirt to face him like a man.

"YOU LISTEN TO ME YOU PIECE OF SHIT!", Dirk screamed. "I WILL SEE YOU DEAD BEFORE I LET YOU TAKE DAVE! IF YOU EVER COME NEAR HIM AGAIN, I WILL PERSONALLY SEE TO IT THAT'LL IT'LL BE THE LAST THING YOU EVER DO! UNDERSTAND?" Dirk dropped Derrick to the floor. "Now, get out of here and never come back, before I do something that I might not regret.", Dirk said turning around.

Derrick Strider just laughed as he picked himself up off the floor. He wiped the blood pouring from his nose as he looked at his eldest son. Without saying a word, he turned around slowly and walked towards the door. But, before he walked out the door; out of sheer arrogance he said, "Yeah, we'll see about that."


	7. Taken

Before I say anything, I would like to give a special kudos to my bestest friend forever Alexa. Thank you so much Alexa for helping me figure out what was going to go down in this chapter!

Muy mas abrazos!

Anyway, THANK YOU THANK YOU ALL TO EVERYONE FOR YOUR SUPPORT! THANK YOU ALL SOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL REVIEWS, FAVORITES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS!

You guys seriously, SERIOUSLY ROCK SO FREAKING MUCH! I LOVE YOU ALL SOOOO MUCH!

And keep the reviews coming! I can't get enough of them!

* * *

Chapter 7: Taken

'"We'll see about that." What the hell does that mean?', Dirk Strider went over his father's words at least a hundred times in his head. Dirk spent the next hour trying to make sense of his father's words. The only conclusion that Dirk could come up with is that...

'He wouldn't seriously try and, no he wouldn't. He COULDN'T. Not even ruthless business tycoon Derrick Strider would stoop that low', Dirk thought. 'But still, what if he...', Dirk's mind wondered. A bad feeling began to make it's presence known deep in Dirk's gut. Derrick Strider was up to something. What exactly was he planning? Dirk Strider didn't know. What he did know was that he had to make sure Derrick never made contact with Dave again.

The fear of what their father might do, almost made Dirk want to bring Dave home from the Egbert's immediately. But, if their dad showed up here again, he didn't want Dave to see what he would do if Derrick showed up again. And besides, he felt Dave was safe over at the Egbert's anyway. The Striders and Egberts have known each other since Dave and John were in preschool. They have grown to trust one another very well. And Mr. Egbert treated Dave no differently than he treats his own son. And Dirk was fairly certain that if Derrick showed up over there then Mr. Egbert wouldn't dare let Derrick get anywhere near Dave. And besides, Dirk felt Derrick didn't have the balls to do something as bold as to show up at a friend's house and demand to see Dave.

'Maybe I should call and check in on the Little Man. Just to make sure.'

* * *

"Hush you guys, Bro's calling."

"Hello?", Dave said answering his phone. "Hey Little Man. Whatcha doin'", Dirk said. Dave caught the sound of his brother's voice. It didn't sound right, it sounded distressed. "Nothin', just talking. What's going on?" "Well, I just talked to Dad. It didn't go to well.", that's all Dirk said. He didn't tell him all what took place. He didn't want to scare him. "Ow, what all happened?" "I tried to talk to him. He wouldn't listen and he stormed out.", Dirk lied to his brother. Yeah, that didn't bring any comfort to Dave at all. He knew his brother was lying to him and he knew something was up. But what? Dave wanted to press the matter, but he knew now was neither the time nor place to discuss it. "Are you okay?", Dirk asked his brother. "Yeah, yeah just thinking that's all." "Well, if you need anything just call me okay." "Okay." "Alright, well I'll see ya later Little Man. Love you." "Love you too Bro. See ya." The two brothers hung up.

"Did Bro talk to y'all's dad?", John asked. "Yeah.", Dave answered. "What did he say?", Jade chimed in. "He said he talked to Dad, but it didn't go so well. He said that Dad didn't listen to anything he had to say and stormed out." "You're not buying that are you?", Rose asked suspiciously. "Not one bit.", Dave answered.

"Okay, what all has exactly been going on?", Rose asked. "Okay Dr. Lalonde, you want it from the beginning?" "From the beginning."

Dave sat down on John's bed and told his friends everything that's been going on to as far he knew. He told them how at the department store, how he was kinda demanding that Dave let him do all that stuff for him and how he irritated he got at the cashier when she thought Dirk was his father, not Derrick. Dave told them how in the past 4-5 days that Derrick was becoming increasingly possessive over him. That at home, he basically controlled his every move, and even picked out the clothes that Dave would wear the next day. Dave admitted that he was uncomfortable around Derrick and was actually scared to be left alone with him when Dirk was at work. Dave said that for the past three days, that he has been taking 2 sleeping pills every night after Dirk leaves for work, so that he won't up with the man for too long.

That bit of information was very disturbing to Rose. If Derrick was as controlling and possessive as Dave made him out to be; then who knows what Derrick could have been doing to Dave when he was out of it. Dave said that he already saw him standing over him one night; and for the past three nights, and for Dave knew, the man could have been...Rose's mind wouldn't go there.

"Okay Dave, to your knowledge. How is the relationship between Bro and y'all's dad?", Rose continued questioning, changing the subject. Dave held his hands up in defeat on that one. "Oh God, don't even get me started on those two."

Dave told them that he didn't know much, but just by the way things feel when those two are around each other, that things between them couldn't have been good. He told them what he told John yesterday, how things at his house felt like that tension you when you try to push two negative magnets together.

After Dave had told them everything he could, Rose could only come up with one conclusion.

"Well, Dave. From what you told me, it sounds like your dad has Borderline Personality Disorder and Bipolar Disorder.", Rose concluded. Rose's conclusion made sense to Dave. That DEFINITELY would explain Derrick's erratic behavior. But, something like BPD and Bipolar Disorder just doesn't come up over night. Derrick's probably had it for years.

Dave plopped his head on John's pillow at the major headache that was coming on. All this speculation, it just rattles the brain.

"Thank you Dr. Lalonde, but I think that's enough psychiatric evaluation for one day.", Jade said. "Now, how's bought some mind numbing video games to kick this party off.", John said. "Egbert, you read my frayed little mind."

All four kids immersed themselves in hours of video games and didn't bring up the subject Derrick Strider any longer. The kids enjoyed their time together, spending hours upon hours playing games, watching movies, and telling stories. It was the first ounce of normalcy that Dave has had since his father made his way into back into the picture.

But still, Dave couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't going to be the last time that he or his brother would have to deal with their father.

And honestly, he wished it was.

* * *

The next day, all four kids arose happily at the fact that it was their day of school. The four could tell, that it was going to be a big day. A very big day indeed. Mr. Egbert got them all ready and swisked them off promptly for their last day of school.

Once at school; Dave, John, and Jade all stayed in the homeroom that they were fortunate enough to share together. For the last day of school, their teacher let the class watch a movie.

But, before the teacher could dismiss the class for lunchtime, she got a call to send Dave up front for check out. Normally, Dave would have been alighted to get out of school early. Not today, he was set to spend the weekend with the Egbert's. That could only mean one thing, something was wrong.

Dave quickly made his way to the front office to see why he was being checked out on the last day of school. Dave could feel the blood drain from his face when he saw his father talking to the woman at the counter. What was he doing here?

'Oh no, Bro!' That was the only thing that could come to Dave's mind, that something had happened to his bro.

"Dad! What's wrong? Did something happen to Bro?", Dave ran up to his father.

"Hello Dave!", Derrick gleefully greeted and wrapped his arms around his son, "No nothing happened to Dirk. He's alright." Dave hugged their father in return. The news came at a relief to Dave, but it raised more questions than it answered. If something wasn't wrong with his bro, then why was he here?

"What happened to your nose Dad?", Dave pointed out the bandage around Derrick's nose. "Oh, it's nothing.", Derrick laughed it off, "I fell down the last few stairs yesterday coming down from the apartment." "Ouch, Bro always warned me to watch those stairs."

"Anyway, Dave we need to be going." "Where are we going?" "You just need to come with me.", Derrick said in a low voice. Dave really didn't want to go anywhere with the man until he got some answers, but he didn't want his father to get mad at him, so he went with him quietly.

"Dad, what's going on?", Dave asked once inside his father's Escalade. Derrick put on a blank face and showed him the piece of paper he had in his coat pocket. It was the custody paper that he shown Dirk, with Dirk's 'signature' on it.

One night while Dirk was at work, he snuck a document with Dirk's signature on it and forged his signature onto the custody paper.

* * *

"W-w-what?", Dave sobbed as he looked over the paper. Right there, in black and white, was his 'brother's' signature. Dave didn't know what to think. He was confused, scared, and angry.

'How can Bro do this to me? Doesn't he want me anymore? Am I that much of a burden to him that he would just give up on me?', Dave cried in his head.

"Now, David, listen to me. Your brother loves you very much and only done this because he was sure it would be the best thing for you.", Derrick put on a sympathetic face and spoke calmly to his son. "But why?", Dave cried. "I don't know son.", Derrick embraced him, "All I know is that he wouldn't have done it if he wasn't sure that it was the absolute best for you. He told me that you need stability in your life, and that was something that he just couldn't provide for you. He told me to tell you that he's sorry that he wasn't a better brother and that he loves you with all his heart. He told me to take good care of you." "May-maybe if I talk to him then he'll..." "Nononononono, you don't want to do that. It'll just make you two even more upset.", Derrick told him.

Dave didn't know what to think right now. He was so hurt and mad at his bro that he couldn't hardly stand it. "How, how can he abandon me like that?", Dave sobbed. "Oh Dave, I don't know. Some people just aren't fit to raise children. They just can't handle the responsibility.", Derrick lied through his teeth to his weeping son. "He said it was the hardest thing that he's ever had to do. But he wouldn't have done it if he wasn't for sure that it was the right thing to do."

Derrick let Dave cry his eyes out on his shoulder for a few minutes. "It's okay Dave, everything's gonna be alright.", Derrick rubbed his back to try and comfort him.

Dave was still scared, confused and angry at his bro. 'Why would he do this to me? Was I too much for him to handle? Maybe I am better off with Dad.', Dave's thoughts raged.

"Come on.", Dave sniffled, "Let's get out of here." His voice was dripping with anger.

"Let's go home, son.", Derrick grinned slickly at his son and drove off.

Dave leaned his face on the window. 'Fine. If Bro doesn't want me anymore, then atleast I have someone who does.'

Derrick looked out the corner of his eye and smirked.

Derrick Strider always got what he wanted, one way or another.


	8. Why?

Show of hands, how many people were expecting that last chapter? Yeah, that's what I thought. Me and my best friend are masterminds. MWAHAHAHAHA!

Anyway…

Again you guys, I cannot possible thank you all enough for all for all the favorites, subscriptions, and reviews! YOU GUYS ROCK SOOOOOOO FREAKING MUCH! I LOVE EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU! KEEP BEING AWESOME YOU GUYS AND KEEP THOSE REVIEWS COMING!

They're my drug man, I need 'em!

* * *

Chapter 8: Why?

"Did y'all have good last day of school?", Mr. Egbert said as he picked the kids up from school. "Good.", John and Jade replied as they climbed in the back of Mr. Egbert's SUV. Mr. Egbert noticed someone missing. "John, where's Dave?" "He got checked out." Mr. Egbert raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "By who?" "I don't know. Bro probably."

The news was very unsettling to Mr. Egbert. Dirk hadn't said anything about checking Dave out of school today. As Mr. Egbert was the main person to pick the kids from school and Dirk normally told him if he going to be picking Dave up early.

Mr. Egbert knew the situation going on with their father. He thought the man's behavior was very strange and Mr. Egbert told Dirk that if he saw the man anywhere near their house, that he would call the police.

'Surely he wouldn't...no. No, no he couldn't, no wouldn't have done that. Would he?', Mr. Egbert's thoughts ran. Mr. Egbert tried to hide his fear from the two children in the back. He didn't want to scare them. "I'll call Dirk when we get home. Make sure he's alright.", Mr. Egbert tried to convince himself.

"Hello?", Dirk said answering the phone. "Hello Dirk.", Mr. Egbert said, kinda shaky. "Oh hey, Mr. E. How's everyone?" "Well, that's what I'm calling about. Did you check Dave out of school at around lunchtime?" Dirk felt his heart sink into his stomach. "N-no.", Dirk shakingly said. Mr. Egbert felt that same gut wrenching feeling. "John and Jade said that Dave got checked out today at around lunch. Dirk, you, you don't think that..." Dirk dropped the phone when the cold, painful truth hit him in the face. Nonononono, this couldn't be happening. There had to be some mistake! Derrick couldn't have taken off with him. He couldn't have! 'He did...oh my GOD HE DID!', Dirk felt hot tears stream down his face. "Dirk? Dirk are you still there?" Dirk picked up the phone and held onto it with a shaking hand. "He did it. That bastard took him!", Dirk screamed over the phone. "Dirk, Dirk you need to listen to me. You can't afford to flip outright now. You need to call the police before he gets any farther.", Mr. Egbert tried to talk some sense into the grieving man. How can he not flip out? His baby brother was just kidnapped by their estranged father. They could be anywhere by now! But, Mr. Egbert was right. He couldn't afford to loose anytime by flipping out right now. Derrick could be anywhere with Dave right now. And a moment lost trying to find them is a moment Derrick would gain. He didn't have a moment to loose!

Dirk snapped out of it, "Right, I'm calling them right now!"

Immediately after Dirk hung up from Mr. Egbert, he called the police.

* * *

"Okay, Mr. Strider. I need you calm down for a moment. When was the last time you saw your brother and father?", the police officer question Dirk. "Yesterday,", Dirk replied, "I dropped Dave off for school yesterday morning, and I saw our dad last after our confrontation yesterday." "Confrontation?" "Yeah, lately our dad's been acting real strange lately," "Strange as in how?", the police officer asked. "For the past 5 days or so, he's been acting possessive over Dave. Been going just about everywhere he goes. Doesn't want he being around anybody else. And then he's been going off at me for whatever reasons." "So you two have been fighting?" "Yeah" "Has Dave witnessed you two fighting." "I don't think so. I try to keep my distance from Dad when Dave is around so we won't get into it." "So Mr. Strider, when you say that your father has been possessive toward your brother. Have you seen any inappropriate actions that this Derrick fellow has been acting on your brother?" Dirk gave the officer a confused, and terrified, look. "What do you mean Officer?" "Have you seen your father touch your brother inappropriately?"

Dirk's eyes widened in fear. "You, you think that, that man could have been..." "I'm sorry sir, it's a protocol question in cases like this." "I guarantee you Officer, if I saw that man lay so much as a finger on my baby, you would be arresting me for murder right now."

"Now, earlier you said that you and your father had a confrontation yesterday. What was that about?" "Well, like I said his strange behavior, I was trying to talk to him about it. I was going to tell him that if he didn't straighten out, then he was going to have to leave and that I wasn't going to let him see Dave." "And what happened after that?" "He served me with custody papers! He said that Dave needed more stability in his life and that I couldn't provide him with that." "And what happened after that?" "What do you think happened! I cold cocked him in the face with my fist. I told him that if ever came near Dave again that it was gonna be the last thing that he ever did." "And what did Derrick do after that?" Dirk leaned back in his chair a bit. "It was weird. He just picked himself up off the floor and said 'We'll see about that', and then just left."

"And have you and your father made contact since then?", the officer continues to question. "No."

"And where has David been since the confrontation?" "He was staying at his friend's house, John Egbert. John's dad called me when he picked up the kids from school and John told him that Dave had been checked out."

"Mr. Strider, what's your father's vehicle look like?", the officer said, writing everything down. "It's a black Cadillac Escalade, with beige interior and New York license plate."

"Okay, well Mr. Strider. I hate to inform you that this does look like a parental kidnapping. We'll put out an all state bulletin for Derrick Strider and the Escalade. If we see him, the vehicle or David anywhere; or have any information, we will contact you." "Okay, thank you officer."

* * *

The officer left and Dirk was left alone to the eery screech of silence. For a moment, he just stood there, until the weight of what all occurred weighed down on him. Dirk Strider sunk to his knees and let out a cry of agony. Dave, his baby brother who he loves more than anything and life itself, was taken from him by that monster. Why, how could he have been so foolish as to let that man into their lives? With tears now pouring down his face, he falls to the ground in anguish and pound his fists on the floor.

"GOD! WHY? WHY DID I LET THIS HAPPEN? WHY DID I LET THAT MAN INTO OUR LIVES! I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG, WHY DIDN'T I ACT SOONER? OH GOD, WHY, HOW COULD I HAVE BEEN SO FOOLISH?", Dirk cries to the top of his lungs. Dirk promised himself, promised their mother, that he would never let anything happen to Dave for as long as he lived. Dirk felt like he went back on that promise. He was supposed to protect Dave, and he failed.

After what seemed like hours of wallowing in his own sorrow; slowly, Dirk picked himself and made his way into his room. He kneeled down by his desk and opened up a drawer to get the bottle of Vodka he had stashed away along time ago. He hadn't drank in years, since Dave was little. He had told himself that the next time he picks up this bottle he had better have a good reason to. Well if this wasn't a good time as any. He tilted his head back and drank half the remaining bottle in a few swigs.

Dirk pulled out an old photo album and sat in the middle of his bedroom floor as he finished the bottle.

After he had emptied the bottle into his stomach, he picked up the album and walked into Dave's room. It was surprising clean for a 13 year old boy, courtesy of being hounded by their crazy father. But Dirk managed to find a dirt t-shirt hidden under his bed. It was his favorite, his classic red and white long sleeved t-shirt with the broken record on the front. Dirk held the garment close to his chest and broke down all over again. Dirk didn't know what he was more of at this point, angry, sad, or scared. Angry at their father for taking his baby away from him. Sad at the fact that he felt like he let it happen. Or scared at the thought of what that monster was doing to his baby right now. Dirk didn't even think that Derrick was capable of doing such a thing as this. He wanted to trust the man, and look where it got them.

Dirk closed his eyes, and tried to shut the cold, cruel world out. And prayed that no matter where he was, that Dave would be okay.

* * *

Hours after his father sped off with him, the very same question that plagued Dirk was still haunting Dave's mind. But in a different sense. 'Why did Bro just sign me over like that? Doesn't he want me anymore? Did I do something wrong? What could I have done to push my Bro over the edge? Why, why?' Dave felt a tear roll down his cheek.

"Are you okay Dave?", Derrick asks with concern in his voice. "Yeah.", Dave lied. "Dave, you must believe me. Your brother done what he done out of love for you. He done what he thought was the best decision for you. He didn't abandon you." "Yeah, well it sure feels like it.", Dave said rolling over in his seat, facing the window. Derrick looked over at a moment to see Dave curled up in his seat. He pressed a button and leaned Dave's sear back.

"Why don't you take a nap, Dave. I'll wake you when we stop."

"You ain't gotta tell me twice.", Dave said closing his eyes.

Derrick looked over at his now sleeping son and smirked. Everything was going perfectly.

* * *

Courtesy of one too many episodes of Law & Order: SVU...


	9. Suspicion

I am so sososososososo sorry for the delay you guys! I had a CRAZY weekend. And to top it off, I've been feeling like crap. Oh well, better late than never I suppose.

Anyway, THANK YOU ALL SOOOOOOO MUCH FOR ALL THE AWESOME REVIEWS, FAVORITES, AND SUBSCRIPTIONS! I just don't know what to say you guys. You guys just rock so much and I love each and everyone of you!

Please keep the reviews coming!

Chapter 9: Suspicion

* * *

"Bro..."

Dave quietly mumbles in his sleep. Like his mind, Dave's sleep was conflicted with countless emotions and questions regarding the previous day's events. Resulting in a very less than peaceful sleep. His eyes restlessly moved under their lids at the nightmares that plagued him so.

"Bro, where are you?", Dave calls out in the fog that surrounds him. It takes a moment for his eyes adjust; but when they do, they begin to make out a figured silhouetted amongst the white haze. "Bro?", Dave slowly begins to make his way towards the figure. When he gets closer, he can definitely make out tell-tale distinctions of the figure before him. The figure was tall, wore a white shirt and dark pants; there was a hat that covered the figures hair, and pointy sunglasses on it's face.

'Bro...'

"Bro!", Dave takes off running until there is only just a short few steps between the two. The smile that was on Dave's face disappears when he get's a look at the expression plastered on his brother's face. It was vacant, even more than usual, and almost despising.

"Bro, what's the matter?", Dave goes to put a hand on his brother's shoulder; and is shocked when he jerks away from his younger brother's touch. Dirk swiftly turns and faces the other direction. Refusing to acknowledge Dave's presence. Dirk's actions deeply confused, and terrified, his young sibling.

"Bro, Bro what's the matter? Why won't you talk to me?", Dave tried to face his brother. But every time he goes to do so, Dirk turns away.

After a minute or so, Dave has enough and grabs his brother's hand and demands for him to speak to him.

Dirk's response to Dave's action, was a hard slap across the face. To which sends Dave to the ground a few feet away.

Dave was now terrified of his brother. Dirk had never laid a hand on him out of anger before. "B-B-Bro?!", Dave said looking up at his brother, his red eyes now widened and had fresh tears streaming down them.

"Don't you get it?!", Dirk mumbled with hate breaming in his voice. Dave didn't understand. What would cause his brother to act this way?

"I don't want you anymore! I have wasted my life on you! I could have been anything you know?! But instead I got stuck with you! Now do you understand?!", Dirk screams his lungs out at Dave.

You might as well have took a knife and plunged it into Dave's heart, because that's pretty much what it felt like. His brother, who raised him since his untimely birth, had just basically told him that he hated him and never wanted to see him again.

"What?!", Dave cries.

"You heard me!", Dirk replies and turned away from his brother and disappeared back onto the fog.

"No! Wait, Bro!", Dave reaches out into the consuming darkness.

* * *

Dave opens up his now redder, teary eyes into a darkened room. Making him half believe his nightmare was reality. He placed a hand on his cheek. He could almost feel the sting where his bro slapped him.

"It was just a dream, but why does it feel so real?", Dave quietly said as tear freely rolled down his face.

A shifting grunt to his left brakes him from his thoughts and makes his mind more aware of his surroundings. He's in a hotel room, and more specifically in a bed. And next to him in the bed, was his father. Derrick turns his head and open his eyes to face his youngest son.

"Well good morning sleepy head.", Derrick smiled as he softly spoke. "G-good morning.", Dave replied. "Did you sleep well?", Derrick asked sitting up. "I can't get that lucky.", Dave said, bring his knees to his chest. "Bad dream?", Derrick looked sympathetic. "The very definition.", Dave wallowed in his own self pity.

'Does Bro really...hate...me? Why? Everything was going good until, until Dad showed up...'

"David? Are you okay?", Derrick broke Dave from his thoughts. "I don't know, Dad. I just don't know.", Dave wrapped his arms around his legs and buried his head into his knees. "Oh David,", Derrick wraps his arms around his youngest son, "You must believe me when I tell you this. Your brother didn't abandon you. He done everything he could for you. But things, were just too much for him to handle. He loved you with all his heart. But he done what he done because he was sure that it was the right thing for you."

"But I don't just understand. Why didn't he tell me, anything?!" "He didn't want to upset you." "Oh yeah, like I'm not upset now?!", Dave retorted. "He thought it would be the easiest way for the both of you.", Derrick tried to comfort him. "Yeah, well it wasn't.", Dave huffed. Dave turned around and hugged his father. A smirk found it's way onto Derrick's face as he returned the hug.

"Hey Dad, um, where are we?", Dave couldn't avoid the elephant in the room any longer. "We're outside of Wichita, Kansas. We had to stop for the night." "I thought you said that you were going to wake me when we stopped?" "I tried to, but you were too asleep. So I carried you in." Dave smiled alittle, "Sorry, I tend to be a heavy sleeper. I guess I get that from Bro." Derrick's smile fades when Dave mention Dirk.

"Say, why don't you get ready. We have a long day ahead of us.", Derrick tried to take Dave's mind off his brother and handed him the clothes he had picked out for him. "Okay.", Dave said, taking the garments. "Hey Dad? Where are we going anyway?" Dave said, making his way into the bathroom. "Canada."

Dave spit toothpaste all over the bathroom mirror at his father's response. "What?! Canada?! Why? I thought you lived in New York.", Dave blurts out as he walks out of the bathroom to confront his father. "We'll talk about that later David. Right now we're burning day light. We need to get a move on. You need to hurry and to get your shower.", Derrick rushed him back in the bathroom. "But Dad..." "No buts David.", Derrick said basically shoving Dave into the bathroom and shut the door behind him.

Derrick's response and action made Dave raise an eye brow in suspicion. 'Wonder what he's in such a hurry for.', Dave wonders as he finishes brushing his teeth. 'If he lives in New York, then why are we going to Canada?'

* * *

The light shining through the curtains in Dave's room were blinding to the hung over Dirk Strider. "Oh God,", Dirk said putting a hand over his throbbing head. He runs the same hand over his face and realizes he still has his sunglasses on. He continues to move his hand further south until he feels a foreign fabric on top of his shirt. He looks down and hold up the article of clothing where he can see it. "Dave...", start appearing in the eldest Strider siblings eyes again. "Oh God...How could I have let this happen?", Dirk sobbed as he held his brother's shirt close to his chest. "Dave...please, forgive me."

Dirk would have laid there for hours, in his own self pity, but an all consuming hatred came over him. "I. Swear. To. God. If I ever see that man face to face again, I will rip his head clean off his..." Dirk's rage was interrupted by a series of frantic knocks pounding away at his door. Dirk immediately hops up, and almost trips over the empty Vodka bottle, and clumsily makes his way toward the door. He had a splitting head ache, he did not need this so early in the morning.

"Alright chill, I'm working on it.", Dirk fiddled with the lock until he got it open. The moment he opened the door, he was immediately greeted with a warm strong hug.

"Oh Dirk! I'm so sorry! I came as soon as I heard!", Jane Crocker slung her arms around Dirk's neck. "Jane? What are you doing here?", Dirk said returning the hug, alittle at shock. "I'm going to help you track Derrick down."

Dirk sat at the kitchen table rubbing his temples. "Here, this will help.", Jane said handing him a cup of coffee. "Thanks Janey.", Dirk said taking a sip. "So Dirk, tell me. When did you start noticing Derrick's odd behavior?", Jane asked. Jane worked as a special agent for the FBI, regarding child abuse and abduction cases. When she first heard of the two names 'Dave' and 'Strider' together, she immediately jumped on it. She figured the best way to get Dave back, was to see how this whole mess started. To see where it began.

"Well, I started noticing things were off the first day he came. He kept doting on Dave constantly. Telling him how pretty he was, and stuff like that. It started getting creepy you know.", Dirk tried to explain it the best way he could. He knew it was perfectly alright for a father to dote over his son, but Derrick was excessive. "And then, when he took Dave shopping, I noticed he was a little demanding. He was demanding Dave to try on this and that. Almost like he was trying to groom him or something. At first I didn't think nothing of it. I thought that after being in business so long, you kinda can't help but be demanding at times. And then, he got aggravated at the cashier when she thought I was Dave's father."

"Uh huh, go on.", Jane writing down everything in her notebook.

"Then, all this week, he's been possessive over Dave."

"Possessive?", Jane questioned, looking up from her notes.

"Yeah, like he hated for Dave to be around anyone else but himself. One day, Dave went to the skatepark while Derrick was out. When he came back, he through an absolute hit and told me that if I had any once of common sense that I would know the dangers of letting a young boy out on the street by himself."

"And what happened after that?", Jane questioned.

"He took off and drug Dave home. And then one day, Dave had his friends over. He stood outside Dave's bedroom door, the whole time."

Jane could only shake her head at the information Dirk was providing her with. This Derrick had some real issues. And Jane feared that if they didn't get Dave away from Derrick soon, that Dave could be in some serious danger.

"How was Derrick's behavior the day before the kidnapping?"

"Oh man, that was the day I told him to get lost after he shown me the custody papers."

"Wait, custody papers? You mean he actually filed for custody of Dave?"

"Yeah, he showed me the papers and wanted me to sign them. Saying that Dave needed more structure in his life and that I wasn't able to provide that for him. Or some other crap like that."

Dirk's news deeply conflicted Dave. If Derrick had actually filed for custody of Dave, he could have just taken Dirk to court. He didn't need to kidnap him. It was like he was taunting Dirk. Like taking your most beloved possession and waving it in your face.

Also, what if Derrick didn't want to go to court, because he had, or done, something that he didn't want the courts to find...

"Dirk, Derrick may have kidnapped Dave just to spite you. He could have just taken you to court to get custody of Dave. Unless, he had something to hide..."

Dirk couldn't say anything, he was just like he was in a daze. He just seemed to stare off into space, and Jane's words starting to sink in.

But, before Dirk had time to let everything sink in, another series of knocks were at the door. "Please let that be news!", Jane said, getting up answering the door.

"Roxy, Rose! How good it is too see both of you!", Jane said surprised when she opened the door. "Hey Janey! Why didn't you tell me you were in town?", Roxy said, surprisingly sober. "I just got in. I needed to talk to Dirk about everything so we can find Dave." "That's actually why we're here. Rosey found something she deeply disturbing about Dave's father." "Oh please, please come in.", Jane said un blocking the way.

"Dirk, Rose said she found something out about Derrick.", Jane told Dirk. "What is it Rose? Please tell me! Anything!", Dirk begged the 13 years old. Rose had never seen Dave's bro in such distress before, and was a little taken aback. "Bro, I think you guy's dad has Borderline Personality Disorder and Bipolar Disorder. And I'm afraid Dave might be in danger if we don't find them soon."


	10. Reason

First off, I would like to give a super special awesome thank you to 'Featherain'. Thank you so much for that helpful writing tip! I appreciate all tips that are given to me!

Anyway, let me just say that you guys, are just so totally amazing!

Thank you all sooooooooo much for all the wonderful reviews, favorites, and subscriptions!

You are all rock to soooo FREAKING much and I love each and everyone of you!

* * *

Chapter 10: Reason

"Borderline Personality Disorder and Bipolar Disorder? Yes, with all the information, that does make perfect sense.", Jane said, writing down everything in her notes, "The mood swings, and the possessive and explosive behavior. It all fits in perfectly. I'm surprised I didn't see it before."

"Wait, I don't understand Jane. What exactly is 'Borderline Personality Disorder' and 'Bipolar Disorder'?", Dirk asked.

"BPD and Bipolar Disorder are mental illnesses that cause severe mood swings in individuals and can lead to risky behaviors, damaged relationships, etc. If they're not on medication. But the thing is, BPD and Bipolar disorder don't just pop up over night. He's probably had it for years, decades even.", Jane adds.

"So basically, I let that crazy son of a bitch into my home and now he's taken off with my little man?", Dirk throw his hands up in frustration.

"Dirk, how many times do I have to tell you? This is NOT your fault! You had no idea that Derrick was going to do this. Stop beating yourself up over something you had no control in!", Jane placed a hand on Dirk's shoulder as she looked him dead in the eye.

"It is my fault Janey! I knew something was wrong! And I didn't do anything to stop this from happening!", Dirk cried on her shoulder. The only thing Jane could do was wrap her arms around the grieving man and do her best to console him.

"Oh Dirk, it's not your fault. No matter what you say or think, you didn't tell Derrick to act the way he did. This is not your fault."

"Hold on a second.", Rose spoke up, "This guy couldn't have been crazy. To say he was crazy means that he didn't know what he was doing at the time. This guy knew full well what he was doing when he took off with Dave."

Suddenly, Rose recalls her little therapy session she had with Dave at John's sleepover. She places her hands over her mouth in horror. "Oh my God!"

"What? What is it Rose?", Roxy turns and places her hands on her daughter's shoulders with concern.

"At John's sleepover, Dave told me what was going on with y'all's dad. He said that one night, he thought he saw Derrick standing over him while he slept. And Dave said that for the past three days that he had been taking sleeping pills after you left for work, so he wouldn't have to deal with Derrick for too long. Jane, Bro, what if he, he could have been...Jane, we have to find them soon! Dave could be in serious danger!",

"Oh...my...God...", Dirk felt like he was going to be sick. Dirk ran toward the nearest trash can and emptied out the contents of his stomach into the bin at the thought of what Derrick could have been doing to Dave when he wasn't around.

"Oh Dirk...", Jane immediately rushes towards his side, "Don't worry, we'll find them." Jane rubbed his back as she tried to bring at least some sort of comfort to her friend.

Dirk's mind begins to wonder places, even to some places he wished it didn't. Wondering of what that monster could (have) be(en) doing to his baby. And for some reason, his mind wonders back to memories of his early childhood. Back to when it was just him and their mother, Cythnia.

* * *

In one specific memory, Dirk was probably about 6 years old, awaiting the arrival of his mother from a visit with their father. Dirk had wondered why their mother wouldn't let him go with her. He begged her, sometimes pleaded with her to let him go with her when she would meet with his mysterious father. And Cynthia would always tell him that it was a special mommy and daddy visit, that he couldn't come with her. Dirk thought it was a little strange that when they had these "meetings", that she NEVER brought him along with her.

When his mother finally walked through the door, she looked exhausted, beat almost. But, whenever she saw her little boy running at full speed to greet to his mommy, she always put on a big smile and opened her arms wide. It was then that Dirk started to notice purple and blue bruises on both of her arms.

"Mommy, what are those bruises on your arms from?", 6 year old Dirk innocently asked his mother.

Cynthia looked down at them and frowned, "Oh it's nothing sweetie. Mommy's sleeves were just a little too tight yesterday, and they made bruises on my arms.", Cynthia put on a fake smile and told a white lie to her son.

"Ouch, you should be more carefully Mommy. My teacher says bruises could be bad for you.", Dirk said hugging his beloved mother.

"Yes, I should shouldn't I.", Cynthia frowned.

"Here, let me make that all better.", Dirk kissed her bruises, "There. All better?" Dirk innocently smiled up at his mother.

"Yes Baby, much better.", Cynthia smiled and kissed the top of his head. "Say, why don'y you go get washed up for dinner."

"Okay.", Dirk said running off towards the washroom.

What Dirk didn't see, was Cynthia silently weeping as she held her arms over the man made bruises. "At least, at least he'll never have to experience this. Not as long as I'm around.", Cynthia whispers.

* * *

As Dirk zones back into reality from the memory, he now realizes that those bruises on his mother's arms weren't caused by tight fabric. They looked like they were caused by fingers, fingers on two strong hands. Now; Dirk can't help but wonder if that's truly why their father was never around in his childhood, was because Cynthia wouldn't let him.

Dirk's eyes widened in horror. What is Derrick's cycle of abuse flares up again, and this time on Dave. 'Oh hell no! I swear to God, if that bastard better not lays so much as a finger on my baby; that bastard won't be dead enough!'.

"Oh Jane! Please, we have to hurry!", Dirk felt tears roll down his cheeks, he was absolutely terrified at what Derrick could be doing to his baby brother.

* * *

600+ miles away, going out of Wichita, Kansas; Derrick continues to drive him and Dave to Canada. Ever since he told Dave that they were going to Canada, he couldn't get Dave to stop asking questions. And all his questions were getting on Derrick's last nerve.

"Dad, for the last time. Why are we going to Canada? I thought you lived in New York?", Dave asked for what seemed like the hundredth time.

'Oh it's going to be the last time alright.', Derrick thought as he gripped the steering wheel to keep from smacking the boy across the face.

"Because Son, I am looking to expand my business internationally and I think Canada would be a good place to start. I have already started opening offices in Toronto, and I need to be there to supervise their operation.", Derrick said, gritting his teeth.

"Oh okay. You could've just told me that.", Dave naïvely believed his father. During these past two days, he didn't know what to believe anymore. His whole world had been turned upside down. His bro 'abandoned' him and Dave felt that Derrick was all he had left. He wanted to believe his father was going the best and right thing for him. And if that meant starting a new life for them in a foreign country, than so be it.

"Well, I just thought all that business talk would go right over your pretty little head.", Derrick smiled as he patted Dave on the knee a few times. Dave smiled back at his father and Derrick returned his attention to the road. He had to be extra cautious.

In reality, Derrick was looking to expand his business internationally, but that wasn't his reason for going to Canada. Derrick Strider is in hot water with the American government for tax evasion. He knew he had one son with Cynthia, but when he found out about Dave. That just made it even better. A young mind that he could easily manipulate. To do anything to help his dear old dad. He was planning on fleeing the country and making Dave his new cash cow.

* * *

I really should watch something else on Netflix beside SVU…


	11. Lies & Deceit

You. Guys. Are. So. FREAKING AWESOME! SERIOUSLY, I LOVE YOU GUYS SO FREAKING MUCH!

You guys just don't know how much it means to me to see how many people have favorited and subscribed to this story! And the reviews, let's not forget about those amazing reviews!

You are so great and I love you all so, so freaking much!

It literally feels my heart with joy to see that someone has reviewed, favorited, or subscribed to this story! It's like opening up a Christmas present everyday!

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* * *

Chapter 11: Lies & Deceit

"Don't worry Dirk," Jane reassured her dear friend, "We're doing everything we can to track Derrick down. I promise you, Dirk Strider, we will find them and we will bring Dave home." Jane embraced Dirk in a warm, comforting hug, even rubbing his back a few times.

But, Jane's kind words and actions were of little comfort to the eldest Strider sibling. His heart, his entire life, was taken from him by his maniac, sadistic father. And in his eyes, he let it happen. No amount of comforting words, or kindly gestures could ease that pain from him. Not until his little man was safe in his arms again.

Ever since Roxy and Rose left, Jane had been on the phone with her department and fellow agents trying to track down Derrick Strider. And so far, the only lead they had to his last known whereabout was at an ATM outside of Houston for a withdrawal of $5000. He had took every precaution NOT to use his credit cards, cash only.

It had been two days, and she honestly did not have a clue as to where they were. In between phone calls, she tried to stop and think. Think of where on earth they could possibly be going. She knew the obvious answer would be New York, as that's where Derrick lived and worked. But that was too obvious. But still, she had to take every precaution in a case like this. She couldn't afford not to look under rock, nook and cranny.

She had her team stake out Derrick's home in New York City; just in case he was stupid, or bold, enough to come home. She also had an all state lookout for his Escalade and license plate number. And to take an extra step of precaution, he had the FBI comb through his business to see if there were any suspicious activity going on. She wouldn't hear back from them on that for about a day or so. But, who knows if they would have that long.

Normally with parental abductions, you can expect the child to be safe because they are with a parent. Someone who is supposed to love and protect the child with their very life. Not in this case, from what Jane had heard and put together; Derrick Strider was a very hostel man. If he DID have any sort of parental love toward Dave, it was probably because he felt that Dave was useful to him to get what he wanted. But, what would happen if Dave was of no longer use to him?

Jane closed her eyes, and rubbed her temples, 'Where are you?'

* * *

Dirk was in his room, staring up at the ceiling that, at this point, was a blank as his soul. No matter what Jane, Roxy, or anyone else told him, Dirk still constantly blamed himself for letting that man into their lives.

'Everything was going great! Why did he have to come into their lives and destroy everything! Why did I have to let him? I saw the warnings! Why didn't I act sooner?! Then maybe, none of this would have ever happened. Why?! Oh God, why?!', Dirk sobbed as he buried his head into his hands. He didn't even try to wipe away the tears that were freely rolling down the sides of his face.

He was completely out of his mind with worry, he was literally shaking. Jane ended up telling him to just go lay down on his bed, to try to get some rest. How could he possibly think about rest when that monster was out there right now, doing God only knows what to his baby. No, sleep was the last thing on his mind.

But the human body can only take so much before it just crashes. Dirk has lost control of the wheel LONG ago, and he was fixing to crash and burn. His grief was getting the better of him, and in a matter of minutes; his highly stressed out, over strung, and still intoxicated mind hit the black wall of despair, and he was stone cold out of it.

Even though he escaped the cruel reality for the time being, his mind was still be plagued with countless, horrifying nightmares of what that monster is doing, or is going to do, to his beloved baby brother.

* * *

Dirk stood in a dark room under a blinding spot light. Confused and disoriented, he turned around a few times before calling out into the unknown. Feels an equally blinding light turn on behind him, followed by a few muffled cries. He immediately jumps around, and sinks to his knees at the sight before him. Cast in the light, was his baby brother, tied and gagged in the middle of the floor. His uncovered eyes revealed the fear and terror deep within them. He had red marks around his eyes and the corners of his mouth. He had on an oversized, torn, dirty t-shirt that covered from his shoulders to the middle of his thighs. His arms were tied around his torso and he had bindings at bis wrists and ankles. Dirk could see bruises on Dave from his shoulders to his tied ankles.

Without a second thought, Dirk takes off running towards Dave. But, with ever step he took, it seemed like Dave was getting farther and farther away. Like he was being dragged or pulled away by something, or someone. Dirk stops running when he gets close enough to Dave to see a rope being pulled behind him. When Dirk stops running, Dave was also stopped. Like whatever, or whoever, was pulling him was toying with Dirk.

Suddenly, Dirk sees a figure stand behind his terrified brother. "Well, well, well, having fun aren't we boys?"

Dirk instantly recognizes the sickening voice.

"DERRICK! YOU LET HIM GO, OR I SWEAR TO GOD I'LL,"

"You'll do what exactly?" Derrick stands behind his youngest son and hoists him up, only to bring a blade to his pale throat. Causing Dave to cry out in fear.

Dirk immediately freezes, frozen in fear of what their father might do next.

"Now, run along little Dirky. We wouldn't want anything to happen to this little beauty, would be?" Dirk said putting the knife closer to Dave's neck.

Dirk instinctively takes a few steps back, not wanting to bring anymore harm to his baby brother.

"Good boy, if you behave, I just might send you a postcard telling you how much fun we had." Derrick almost devilishly said, absconding into the darkness still clutching Dave in his arms.

Dirk hears a blood curtailing scream escape the darkness.

"NO, DAVE! NOOOOOOO! BRING HIM BACK! LET HIM GO!" Dirk cries out into the darkness.

* * *

"DIRK! DIRK WAKE UP!" Jane frantically cried, shaking her friend from his hellacious nightmare.

Slowly, Dirk regained consciousness and opened his eyes to see two tearful, terrified blue eyes behind a pair of black rims.

"Oh Dirk," Jane said clinging to the man, "I was so scared! I thought you were having a seizure or something."

"Janey? What, what happened?", Dirk said disoriented.

"I came in here to check on you. And you were shaking. I 'bout couldn't wake you up!" Jane teared up.

"I'm sorry, Janey. I didn't mean to scare you," Dirk thought back to what could only be described as hell itself, "I had a, dream. A horrible, horrible dream."

"Oh Dirk, I'm so sorry." Jane wrapped her arms around the deeply tormented man.

"Jane, can you promise me something? Can you promise me that, that I will see my little boy again? That I'll get to hold him in my arms again?"

Jane looked at him dead in the eyes, and the only thing she had the heart to say was, "I promise you Dirk Strider. We'll bring him home, safe and sound."

* * *

In her profession, Jane knew the dangers of making promises, especially those where she didn't know what the initial outcome would be. Not this time. This is one promise she REFUSED to break. She promised to Dirk and to herself, that no matter what, she would bring Dave home. Safe and sound.

"Dad, where are we?" Dave asked for what seemed like every hour.

"We are almost to Chicago," Derrick spoke in a calm voice.

"How much farther to Toronto?"

"About 500 more miles."

"Can we stop somewhere? I'm getting tired."

"You can sleep back there can't you? It's comfortable back there isn't it?"

"Yes sir, but what about you? Are you getting tired?"

"Ah don't worry about me Son. I've pulled plenty of all nighters before, caffeine works wonders." Derrick was really getting irritated at all the questions Dave was asking.

When they stopped for lunch in St. Louis, Derrick had Dave get in the back. He told him that the windows were tinted back there and the glare from the road wouldn't hurt his eyes. The tinted windows also kept him from being detected by any passing by officers.

Also when they stopped, Dirk changed the license plate on his vehicle to through off any police that may be looking for them. If he could get to the Canadian border undetected, he'd be scott free.

"Well, I should stay up with you so you don't end up falling asleep and wrap us around a telephone pole or something."

If he doesn't end up killing this kid first for asking so many freaking questions.

"Haha, okay. What do you want to talk about?" Derrick laughed.

"I don't know, what all do you do for fun?" Dave just brings up small talk.

Derrick smirked, "Well, when I have free time. I like to go play a few rounds of golf."

"Oh cool. Bro used to take me golfing."

"Oh did he now," Derrick tried not to sound annoyed at the mention of Dirk.

"Uh huh, when I was little though. He used to play with his friend Jake English and my friend's dad, Mr. Egbert. And sometimes, Mr. Egbert would bring John and me and him had our own little clubs. But I'm not so good at it like Bro was. I was always afraid that I would hit myself in the head with the club. We stopped going years ago."

"Yeah, it's pretty relaxing, peaceful when you think about it."

"I suppose so, I didn't really see what was so fun about it though." "Well, it's not really a sport for little kids." "True that."

"What all movies do you like, Dave?"

"You know the usual, horror movies, action adventure, the comedy every now and then." Dave laughed a bit.

"And you're brother lets you watch these movies?" Derrick gave a displeasing look.

"He watches them with me sometimes." Derrick just shook his head.

"What do you like to do after school?"

"Ah, you know. Hang out, go to my friend's house and play video games, or do whatever. And of course hang with Bro until he goes to work."

"What would you two do?" Derrick grudgingly asks.

"Just, hang out sometimes, play video games. And sometimes we have our strifes." "Strifes? What's that exactly?"

"We'd have sword fights on the roof,"

"WHAT?!" Derrick almost sent them into the ditch

"Woah, chill Dad. It's okay,"

"No David, it is not okay! Good God he could have killed you! It's a good thing I came when I did! Lord only knows what would have happened!" Derrick hollered.

"It's okay Dad. Bro knew what he was doing. He wouldn't have initially hurt me."

"Oh David, my son. Don't you understand...You're brother, was trying to get you taken away."

Dave looked at the man liked he had absolutely lost his mind, "No, he wouldn't have done that! Bro would never do anything to get me taken away."

"Don't you get it David. All those fights you two had. What did you think it was for? To train for some war or something? No! He wanted to put enough bruises on you to get people to ask the right questions. Ask questions like 'Who did that? Where did this come from?', people are only going to believe the same lie for so long before they start seeing the truth."

"No,"

"Yes, David. You're brother wanted people see what a bad parent he was, so you could be taken to a better home."

"No, that's not true. Bro loves me. He, he would never..."

"Your brother does love you very much David. But he just couldn't take care of you like he ought to had."

Dave felt tears swell in his eyes, "W-What?"

"While you were at your friend's house. He had a talk. He told me everything. How he was a failure and he just didn't know how he could tend to you like you ought to be. He said I was right all along. A young boy shouldn't be brought up the way your brother was raising you. He told me, he told me that he with his career that he just couldn't take care of you anymore. Dirk said that he had been planning on going off so he could further his career for months, but he wanted to make sure that you were taken care of. When you were staying at your friends's house that night, he practically begged me to take you. He said that way, you two would both be happy." Derrick said with the flickering tongue of a lying snake.

He let it all sink in Dave for a moment. Dave felt like his whole world was crumbling down. He couldn't believe it! He just couldn't. His bro wouldn't just...would he? Dave did notice that Dirk seemed to be a bit stressed lately, but he never thought anything of it, until now. Even the last phone call he and Dirk shared sounded off. Dave could tell Dirk was lying to him about something. And now it all made sense.

Derrick's lying hypnosis worked like a charm. Pin brother, against brother.

Dave was so angry right now, he couldn't hardly see straight. His brother, who he thought loved him more than anything, gave him up, because he couldn't take care of him anymore.

'And for what?! So he could run off and become that world famous D.J.! Well who needs him! He apparently didn't need me, so why do I need him! Good riddance! I don't need him anymore! I have Dad! At least he won't abandon me!' Dave's thoughts screamed inside his head.

"David, are you okay?" Derrick asked in a gently, concerned voice.

Dave looked up at his father with tears rolling down his face, "No,"

"Oh David, your brother only done what he done because he loves you, and he wanted to see that you were be taken care of." Derrick pulled over and wrapped his arms around his young son.

"Yeah right, where have I heard that before." Dave grudging says.

Dave is so hurt, and so appalled at his brother's "actions", he begins to feel full on resent towards Dirk. Right then, right now, he could care less if ever saw the man again.

"I love you David." Derrick says quietly in his ear.

"I love you too Dad." Dave said, wiping the tears from his eyes, "I think, I think I'm going to go to sleep now." Dave almost whispered.

"Good night David, I love you." Derrick smiled.

"Night Dad, love you too." Dave said quietly as he laid down in the back seat.

Derrick looked in the rear view as he drove off.

"Pleasant dreams, sleeping beauty." Derrick slickly grinned as he looked at his sleeping son.

* * *

Man, anybody else wanna chase after Derrick with a pitch fork and torch?


	12. Taunt

You guys, I am just in tears right now…THANK YOU! THANK YOU SOOOOOOO FREAKING MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED, FAVORITED, AND SUBSCRIBED TO THIS STORY! YOU GUYS ARE SO AWESOME, JUST SO AMAZING AND I SERIOUSLY LOVE YOU GUYS SO FREAKING MUCH!

THANK YOU ALL SO SO SOOOOOO MUCH; YOU GUYS SERIOUSLY JUST DO NOT KNOW HOW MUCH IT MEANS TO ME!

And please keep those fantastically super special awesome reviews coming!

* * *

Chapter 12: Taunt

Try as he might, sleep alluded the youngest Strider that night. His mind was too conflicted to even begin to think of sleep.

'Is, is it true?' Dave's mind would not rest, 'All this time, could, could Bro have been trying to get rid of me? For years? How, no, why? What could I have possible done to make him want to get rid of me? Surly if Bro was struggling, he would have told me, right? Maybe, maybe I could have helped him, somehow.' Dave's heart ached in betrayal.

'But then again, why did we have all those strifes? What was their purpose? Were they truly to help me for some reason? To train for some upcoming war or something? Or, for Bro to take out his anger, on me?' Dave's eyes widen in horror at "the truth".

The heartache sparked the fire of all consuming hatred.

'That, that was it, the whole time! It all makes sense now! If he truly loved me, then why would he have been so hard on me? Did he not even care that he was hurting me everytime he kicked me down; or when he would nearly slice my face off?! Every cut, every bruise, was just part of his plan to get me taken away and out of his hair! That was it all along! How could I have been so blind...' Dave's eyes burned with anger, 'Well at least he's happy now. And I finally have someone who TRULY loves me. I could care less if I ever saw that sorry prick ever again!'

But before long, his anger subsided for the moment and Dave rolled over and stared out the sun roof. He wished he had his phone with him right now so he could ease his mind with some "peaceful" music. But noooo, the dumb thing decided to die when he was at John's; and in a cruel ironic twist of fate, when mother nature thought he was over due for a blond moment, he forgot to pack the charger. Lovely.

Dave quietly stared up at the stars until he just couldn't hold his eyes up any longer. Sleep had finally overcame and won the battle.

* * *

"Wake up David, we're here!" Derrick happily sung as he patted his son on the leg, trying to wake him up.

"What? Huh? We made it?" Dave snapped his head up from the seat, stiffly trying to sit up.

"Yep." Derrick said opening up his door, "How did you sleep?"

"I've slept better." Dave said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Dave got out of the Escalade and had a good stretch before he focused his eyes on his new surroundings. He rubbed his eyes to make sure they weren't playing tricks on him. They were in the drive way of a large mansion.

"Woah! This, this is where you live?!" Dave blurted out.

"Not exactly, this is where we'll be staying until everything settles down." Derrick said nonchalantly.

"How long will that be?" Dave said, following his father up to the front door.

"I'm not sure. We'll just have to see." Derrick said unlocking the door and stepping inside.

"Derrick Strider?! Is that you?! Oh my God, I haven't seen you in forever! How have you been?" a woman with long brown hair in a pink silk robe said as she made her way down the grand staircase.

Claudia approached Derrick and noticed he wasn't alone, "And who is this handsome young man you got here?" Claudia said, pecking Derrick on the cheek.

"Claudia! Dear how are you?" Derrick said returning the favor, "I went to visit my sons in Texas. This is my youngest son, David." Derrick said, placing a hand on Dave's shoulder. "Don't be shy David, say hello."

"Hello," Dave nonchalantly held out a hand to shake the woman's hand in a polite manner.

"Hello David! How are you?!" Claudia on the other hand, opened her arms and embraced the boy.

"Okay, I guess. We had a long trip," Dave said, not really even bothering to return the kindly gesture.

"Oh I can image! You must be exhausted, darling," Claudia said placing her hands on Dave's shoulders, slightly leaning down to his eye level.

"Yeah, but I'm surprised Dad didn't wrap us around a telephone pole or something. He drove all night."

"Derrick you drove all night with this baby?"

"We had to make it here as soon as possible, Claudia," Derrick lowered his voice.

"Derrick, you go get some sleep, and I'll show David to his room. And that is not a request," Claudia ordered, taking Dave's hand.

"Yes ma'am," after being up for almost 24 straight hours, Derrick was too tired to argue with anyone.

Claudia led the two upstairs, down a hallway, and showed Dave his room. "This will be your room David," Claudia said, opening the door.

Dave lifted up his sunglasses to make sure he was seeing everything properly. The room was huge! Arguably the nicest bedroom that he had ever been in. And it was all his! The room had dark hardwood floors, the walls were white and had painting all along them. To the right side of the room, there was an ivory desk, a nightstand near the bed, and a changing screen near the bathroom and closet. To the left there were a chest of drawers. In the center of the wall, there was a huge flat screen T.V., in front of the T.V., there was a coffee table and a couch. And directly in front of the T.V., also was large canopy California-king sized bed. It had a red comforter and pillows on it, and a chocolate brown bedskirt, and it actually had red curtains tied to the canopy railings.

For a moment, Dave thought his dad really did fall asleep behind the wheel and he was now in heaven.

"Do you like it David?" Derrick said behind him.

"Yeah...I mean it's cool and all; but it could use some of my personal touches if you know what I mean," Dave said, wearing his usual expressionless look on his face.

"I'm glad you like it," Derrick happily said, "Why don't you get some rest before lunch? Claudia will come and wake you when lunch is ready."

"Okay," Dave said yawning.

"Good night David," Derrick hugged his son and kissed the top of his forehead.

"Good night Dad," Dave simply said.

Derrick exited the room and made his way toward his own bedroom. Everything was going perfectly. He had better luck than he thought, making it all the way up here undetected. The only problem he had was at the border, when they were stopped. An officer shined a light in the backseat and saw Dave. They asked who he was and what relation did Derrick have with him. Derrick simply told them that Dave was his son and he shown them the custody paper with Dirk's forged signature on it. Derrick played a sob story for the officer. Telling him that he went down to Texas to see his sons; but when he saw his oldest son abusing his youngest son, he had his oldest son sign over custody and he was going to Canada to start a new life for themselves. The officer bought it hook line and sinker, and wished them on their way.

Oh yes, everything was going perfectly.

Dave plopped down on his new bed. He breathed in the fresh scent of the clean fabric. He couldn't believe that all this was now his. He had to admit, the place did look pretty sweet. Heh, just a few Strider touches and it would be home sweet home.

'Maybe this place won't be so bad after all,' Dave thought as he shifted his body to get under the covers.

Dave let out a sigh of comfort. It felt so good to lay in a bed. Sitting in a car all day was insufferable.

Dave placed his sunglasses on the nightstand; and in a matter of moments, he was out.

* * *

"David? Wake up sweetie, lunch is ready," Claudia gently shook the boy awake.

Dave slowly began to stir from his sleep. "Miss Claudia? What time is it?" Dave asked sitting up, rubbing his eyes before he put his sunglasses back on.

"It's 12 pm, David. And please, just call me 'Claudia'," Claudia smiled.

"Okay Claudia, and please, call me 'Dave'," Dave smirked. Claudia couldn't help but laugh.

"Here, these are the clothes your father picked out for you to wear," Claudia said, handing Dave the garments, "Just leave your dirty clothes in the hamper in the bathroom, the maid will come by and pick them up later."

Dave sighed and took the clothes, "Thank you," Dave said, trying to hide his irritation.

"I'll just wait outside until you get changed," Claudia said steeping towards the door, trying to give him some privacy.

'This is getting really old,' Dave pouted as he stepped behind the changing screen.

'Why can't I pick out my own clothes? I'm not five anymore.'

But Dave really didn't think it would be a wise idea if went against his father's wishes, especially now that they were in a different country. So, he put on the clothes his father picked out without protest.

"Well don't you look handsome!" Claudia doted as Dave stepped out the door. Derrick had picked out a red and white pin stripe bottom up shirt and a pair of black jeans. Dave had to admit, no matter what his father picked out, he still looked good.

"Why thank ya ma'am," Dave smirked, whipping out his Texan accent, that just seemed to make Claudia swoon.

"Oh just wait until the others see you!" Claudia put her hands to her face like a blushing schoolgirl.

"Others?" Dave said, as Claudia grabbed his arm and lead him to the dining room.

* * *

"So, James, tell me. How were last quarter's profit margin?" Derrick asked his business partner and friend James Nickel, as he took a sip of his water.

"Profits were up by 93% since January. We haven't seen such a gross spike like that in one quarter since your father ran the company, God rest his soul. I'm telling you Derrick, you're going the right track expanding internationally," James stated.

"Good, good," Derrick said leaning back in his chair.

Derrick looked over his shoulder and smiled when he saw Claudia and Dave make their way into the dining room.

"David, there you are. I was beginning to wonder if Claudia ran off with you somewhere," Derrick said getting up from his seat.

"David this is James Nickel," Derrick pointing to James, "And this is Randy Coperstone, Justin Cox, Amanda Blue, Austin Johnson, and Laura Harper. They are all my business partners," Derrick said pointing to each of them.

"Hello." Dave simply said, not really knowing what else to say.

"Please David, have a seat," Derrick said pulling out the chair next to him.

All the business partners cast their eyes on the young man, taking an immediate interest in the boy.

"So this is your son we've hearing about for the past hour, huh?" James spoke first, eyeing Dave.

"Yes, this is my youngest son David. My eldest son wasn't raising him and taking care of him properly, so I took it upon myself to do so," Derrick informed him.

"Yeah okay. Hey David, you wanna know why 'your dad's' eyes are brown?" James said gesturing to Derrick, "Cause he's so full of his own shit."

"Yeah Strider, cut the crap. Where'd you kidnap this kid from. Cause there's no way he came from your ugly old ass," Austin and James picked at Derrick.

Everyone at the table laughed, even Dave, a little.

"As I live and breathe, he is my biological flesh and blood," Derrick said, holding his hands up in a friendly manner.

Light laughed made it's way across the table.

"Okay, lunch is served everyone," Claudia announced as she lead a team of servants into the dining room, carrying dishes upon dishes of fresh cooked food. To which Derrick took it upon himself to fix Dave's plate, deaf to his many protests.

By the time Derrick was done, Dave's plate had Volaille a La Crème, roasted lamb, a salad, and a whole bunch of stuff that Dave couldn't even pronounce on it. None of which looked real appetizing to a 13 year old boy.

Derrick's business partners thought it was all an amusing sight. "Damn Derrick, are you going to cut his meat for him too?" James stated. To which Derrick replied by giving him a stern, 'mind your own business' look.

"Come on David, eat," Derrick almost demanded.

After seeing all that food, eating was the last thing Dave wanted to do. But, in fear of his father's wrath, he done so anyway. It's a good thing Dirk thought him to master the poker face his whole life, other wise every bite would have brought a look of disgust and maybe even a gag.

Aside from Dave throwing up in his mouth at least half a dozen times, lunch went by fairly peaceful and uneventful. The business partners introduced themselves to Dave.

James Nickel was Chief Financial Officer.

Randy Coperstone was Chief Analytics Officer.

Justin Cox was Chief Operating Officer.

Amanda Blue was Chief Human Resources Officer.

Austin Johnson was Executive Officer.

And Laura Harper was Chief Marketing Officer.

They explained to Dave that they worked for his dad for many years, even when Derrick's father was over the company. The tried to explain to him a bit about business, but really it all just went over Dave's head.

Dave told them that he was from Texas and he was raised by his brother from the time he was born. Dave tried not to talk about Dirk too much; he was still hurt and felt betrayed by his brother's so called actions. To talk about him, or even think about him, made Dave hate and resent his brother more and more. The business partners reassured Dave that they had known his father for a long time and that he would take great care of him. Hearing this reassurance comforted Dave greatly.

"David, your father bringing you here is really a blessing to us," Laura Harper informed Dave.

This caught Dave by surprise, "Really? How so?"

"Because, for years we have been looking for a spokesperson, a poster child if you will for our expansion. We've had countless auditions, and not one of them had that spark that would catch people's eye. You, young David, just have the spark that we have been missing. Would you be interesting in being our poster child, model so to speak?" Laura smiled.

Dave thought long and hard about it before giving an answer. He thought it would be cool to be a model, and ever since he was five people had been telling him that he should model. But still,

'What if I don't make the cut? What if I'm not good enough? What if I'm really not what they're looking for? What if...'

"What do you say David?" Derrick asked his son.

'But what if Dad wants me to do it? I mean he's all I got left, and if it'll make him happy...why not?'

"Well I don't know much about business or anything like that; but if they're any way I can help you, I'd be glad to," Dave finally spoke.

"Wonderful!" Laura spoke with joy, "You'll be so perfect!"

"Awesome, when do we start?" Dave asked

"Immediately," Derrick deeply spoke.

* * *

"How's it coming in there Dave?" Claudia knocked on the door of the room that Dave was changing in.

"Good," Dave sounded a bit out of breath. 'Do you think they could have a tighter pair of jeans?' Dave was used to wearing skinny jeans but damn. These were like the mother of all skinny jeans.

Dave opened the door and walked out very stiffly.

"Can you even breath in those?" Claudia giggled.

"A little bit," Dave tried not to breath in and out too much; fearing that too big of an inhale or exhale may cause the the button on the jeans to fly off across the room and the jeans would split down in half. "Why exactly do I have to wear these?"

"It's for a shoot called 'From New York to L.A.' You'll stand infront of a green screen and they'll take a picture of you walking down the street in New York. And then they'll take another picture of you walking in Los Angeles. And then they'll spit it down the middle and combine the picture like you are literally walking from New York to L.A."

"Okay, that sounds cool, I guess," Dave said walking over to the set.

"Good luck," Claudia gave him a thumbs up.

"You're wonderful Dave, such a natural. Keep it up!" the photographer said, cheering Dave on.

Dave really was having fun with it. All the shots were turning out great. They were very clever too. There was of corse the New York to L.A. one, which turned out way better than Dave expected it too. Dave thought they would have to do like a thousand takes with him, but no. They only had to do a few. Other ones included Japanese themes, by far Dave's favorites, different European country themes, even Egyptian and Indian themes. They even done domestic themed shots. Like since Dave was from Texas, they done some cowboy shots. Dave thought they all were pretty cool.

But the only thing Dave didn't like about his new found talent/job, was all the looks he was getting from some of the people there. Especially from James and Austin. Like they would just stare at him, without even blinking sometimes. It was really beginning to creep Dave out. But he tried not to think about it too much. Maybe they were just admiring his work.

"Okay David, I think that'll be good for the day," the photographer called out.

"Okay, are you sure?"

"I've got about 5000 shots, I think we're good."

"Wow, oh yeah I think we're done," Dave sarcastically spoke.

"You were great Dave!" Claudia said as Dave walked off the set.

"You think so?" Dave smirked, but kept his usual poker face on.

"I know so! When we get those pictures out, Derrick will have so many expansion requests that he won't know what to do with," Claudia put her arm around the boy.

"Speaking of Dad, where is he?", Dave asked, walking into his dressing room.

"I think he was in his study. You might want to visit him when he is in his room though. He doesn't like it when people go into his study," Claudia said outside the door.

"Okay, thanks for the info."

* * *

Dave got dressed and tried to make his way back to his room. But on the way, he ran into two unexpected visitors, literally. Dave ran right into James and Austin when he walked out of the mansion's studio.

"Oh excuse me. I must not have been paying attention," Dave apologized.

The two men just jokingly laughed, "It's okay kid, it was an accident. You didn't mean too."

"Hey you were great out there today, kid. I think you're just what this company was looking for," James said, giving Dave a thumbs up.

"What can I say? I am a Strider after all." Dave cockily said.

Both men laughed. "You are too much like your old man, kid," Austin said

"Yeah," Dave smirked a little, "Well, I'll just be going to my room now. And I'll try not to run into anyone or anything else," Dave said backing up a little.

"Yeah, you do that. See ya around kid," James waved off.

"Yeah, see ya," Dave said turning around.

'Well those two don't seem so back after all,' Dave thought as he made his way to his bedroom.

What Dave didn't see behind he his back, was both James and Austin staring at him like a hungry dog as he walked away.

* * *

Dave stayed in his bedroom for hours, playing video games, watching T.V. and movies, and trying to mess the place up a bit to make it feel a bit more like home instead of a hotel; until he thought it would be a good time to find his father.

"Well, it's almost six. Maybe he's in his room now," Dave said as he wondered to his father's room.

"Dad, you in there?" Dave knocked on the door. "Dad?" Dave poked his head in the door.

"Hello David! Come in, come in!" Derrick said sitting by the desk in room, "So David, how do you like it here?"

"It's okay, the people here seem pretty nice, and the modeling was pretty cool," Dave kept his expression blank as he walked into the room.

"That's good, David. I am glad you like it here!" Derrick said embracing his son.

"Say David, I have some good news," Derrick sung happily.

"What is it?"

"I've filled adoption papers Son. I'm going to adopt you," Derrick said.

For a moment, Dave felt his cool kid persona slip. He just stood there with his mouth wide open, "I-I..."

"Isn't it wonderful! We can be a real family here, and we can be happy!"

Dave didn't know what to say, he was flabbergasted. He really didn't know what to think about all this. They just got there and all ready Derrick was planning on making them a family.

"Aren't you happy David?" Derrick looked down at Dave.

"No, I mean yes I am," Dave stammered, "But didn't this happen a little fast, you know. I mean, we just got here and..."

"I know things to have seemed to have happened a bit fast. But trust me David, the sooner we get this out of the way, the better."

Derrick's words began to weave their way into Dave's mind. Like a poison, it spread until everything was consumed.

'Maybe, maybe this is for the best. Like he said, we could be a real family. Father knows best after all. Bro never adopted me so what would it matter?'

Dirk, just the thought of the man made Dave want to spit fire.

As if he could read his young son's mind, Derrick instantly brought up Dirk.

"Oh your brother. How could I forget him? I think we could call him and tell him the good news."

Being the complete jackass that he is, Derrick picked up the phone on his desk.

* * *

"Hello?" Dirk hastefully answered the phone, praying to God that it was his beloved baby brother.

"Why hello Dirk, and how are you this fine evening?

"DERRICK! YOU SON OF A BITCH WHERE IS HE?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH HIM?!" Dirk was practically foaming at the mouth when he heard his bastard father's voice over the phone.

"Haha, yes he's doing good. A whole lot better now than ever before if you ask me," Derrick said happily as if absolutely nothing had happened.

"What?!" Dirk said confused.

"Anyway, I just called to let you know that I have good news. You won't have to worry about David anymore. I'm going to take good care of him," Derrick said slightly laughing.

That's it, Dirk just blew up.

"YOU LISTEN TO ME TO PIECE OF SHIT! I SHOULD HAVE KILLED YOU WHEN I HAD THE CHANCE! IF YOU LAY SO MUCH AS A FINGER ON HIM I WILL PERSONALLY HUNT YOU DOWN AND KILL YOU! DO YOU HEAR ME YOU SON OF A BITCH!?" Dirk screamed his lungs out at him over the phone.

"Uh uh uh, now Dirk remember your manners. It's talk like that that can make a man plummet in regret," Derrick toyed with his eldest son.

Dave really didn't know what his father meant by 'plummet to regret', but Dirk did. Derrick had basically just told him that if he didn't act politely, then he was going to see to it that Dirk will never see his beloved baby brother again.

"Pl-Ple-ase," Dirk cried with tears streaming down his face, "Let me talk to him. Please!"

Derrick let out an evil, devilish chuckle. "Oh David, your male sibling is on the phone."

Dave hesitantly took the phone. Was he ready to talk to his brother after he thought he abandoned him.

"H-hello?" Dave quietly answers, trying to conceal his anger behind the shell.

Dirk is over joyed at the sound of his baby brother's voice. "DAVE?! OH MY GOD LITTLE MAN IS THAT YOU?! ARE YOU OKAY?!" Dirk cried hysterically in the phone.

"Uh yeah I'm okay," Dave pouted, still very angry at his bro, "Why do you care?!"

"What? No Dave, no you have to listen to me!"

"Why?! You never listened to me when I would tell you I didn't want to strife. You always told me too bad and suck it up!"

"Dave listen to me! You have to let me explain..."

"Explain what?! How you used those strifes to try and get rid of me?! You couldn't take care of me, so you tried to put as many bruises on me as you could so I would get taken away!" Dave hollered into the phone, gritting the teeth.

Dirk couldn't believe what he was hearing. Had their father turned his little man against him?

"You know I always thought you were kidding when you said you were going to drop me off at the orphanage; but apparently you sure proved me wrong!" Dave was so mad that for a moment he thought fire was coming out of his breath.

"No, please Dave..." Dirk felt like his heart was about to stop beating. Their bastard father fed his baby a bunch a lies and now he hated him.

"You know what Dirk, I don't want to hear it anymore! Good bye Dirk Strider!" Dave slammed the phone back onto the receiver and stormed out of the room.

Dirk devilishly smirked as he watched his young son storm out in such a blind fury.

To give one last kick in the nuts to his eldest son, Derrick thought he would send some of those pictures of Dave to his older brother. Some of the more 'less than modest' images he had taken of him today. In some of the Egyptian photos, he had Dave put on tight shorts that hugged his legs and butt perfectly. Those would really make him squirm.

Derrick had a special computer in his office that was completely untraceable. He went to office and opened his email. He sent the images, along with a few others he thought would rub salt in Dirk's wounds. He titled the email "More coming soon..." and clicked Send.

Oh there would definitely be more coming soon.

* * *

As if you thought you couldn't possible hate Derrick anymore…

*NOTE*

Due that it was brought to my attention but the angels of FanFiction, Featherain and TriforceBrave; I went in and fixed this chapter to make Dave's chapter sound more, like Dave, to the best of my knowledge. To anyone who read this chapter before I fixed it, I am so sorry I didn't do it right the first time! You guys deserve so much more than me half assing a chapter!

And please, let me know if I left anything else out.


	13. Fate

You guys just amaze me more and more every update...I FREAKING LOVE YOU GUYS SO FREAKING MUCH! I CAN NEVER POSSIBLY SAY ENOUGH WORDS IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE THAT WOULD EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU! THANK YOU, THANK YOU ALL SOOOO MUCH! YOU GUYS FREAKING ROCK!

THANK YOU, THANK YOU ALL SOOOO MUCH FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL REVIEWS, FAVORITES, AND SUBSCRIPTIONS!

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD KEEP THEM COMING!:)

And a super special awesome thank you to 'Featherain' and 'TriforceBrave'! Thank you guys so much for helping me out, I greatly appreciate it!

* * *

Chapter 13: Fate

Even after about 10 minutes, Dirk still couldn't believe what all he heard. He continued holding the phone to his head even after the dial tone had picked up and was ringing away in his ear. He was still hanging on in hopes that somehow, his brother was still on the other line. But, the only voice he heard was the one in his head replaying his brother's final words to him.

'You know what, I don't want to hear it anymore! Goodbye Dirk Strider!'...

"Ohhhhhhh mmmyyyyyyyyyy Goooodddd!" Dirk finally dropped the phone and collapsed onto the floor.

That was it, Derrick had finally done what Dirk had thought was impossible. Derrick had actually turned his baby brother, his entire life, against him.

Dirk let out a long, loud cry of sheer agony.

The moment he fit the floor , Jane immediately rushed to his side and tried to pick him up but to no avail. He was a pile of crying, hysterical dead weight on the floor. The only thing she could do was sit there with him and wrap her arms around him; if just to only let him know what she was there and that he was not alone.

"Ohhhh myyyyy Goodddd! JJJJaaannnnnneeeee," Dirk latched onto Jane and poured what was left of his heart out onto her shoulder.

Dirk was crying so hard that his breathing became erratic and he started hyperventilating. Jane immediately jumped up and ran into the kitchen to find anything that could keep Dirk from passing out. She found a paper bag in a drawer.

"Dirk! Dirk listen to me! I need to breathe into this bag okay," Jane said, holding the paper bag up to his mouth.

Dirk took the bag into his shaking hand and held it to his mouth. Trying to breathe in and out as steady as he could.

"Okay, we need to get you up off the floor," Jane stood up and tried to pull Dirk onto the couch.

After a few tries, she successfully managed to pull Dirk off the floor and had him resting on the futon. Then after a few more minutes, he was finally calming down.

"Dirk, what did Derrick do? What did he say" Jane easily questioned.

Dirk took a few more breaths in the bag before answering. "It, it was him. He, he said that, I won't have to worry, about Dave anymore. That, that he was going to take good care of him. I swear to God Jane, if so much lays a hand on him, I'm gonna..."

"Dirk, you have to listen to me. You've got to calm down, you're gonna give yourself a heart attack if you don't," Jane said sternly, looking him dead in the eye, "What else did he say?"

"He, he said that if I don't behave and act politely that he wasn't ever going to let me see my little man again," Dirk sobbed and wiped his eyes, "I begged him to let me talk to Dave. When I got to talk to him, he, he sounded different. Hateful."

"What did Dave tell you?"

Dirk started to cry again, "When I asked if he was okay, he, he said 'Why do I care?'. I love that boy more than I have EVER loved anyone before in my life, even Mom. When he said that, you could have ripped my heart out of my chest and I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference," Dirk leaned his head down and wiped his eyes with his shaking hand. "I begged him, to please listen to me; but he wouldn't. He told me why should he listen to me when I never listened to him."

"What did he mean by that?" Jane asked.

"About the strifes. He said I never listened to him when he said he didn't want to strife. I only done it because I thought it would be the best thing for him. Dave was always so small; and I knew growing up that he would most likely be picked on. We started having strifes because I thought that it would help build him up, make him stronger, wiser, a quick thinker. So that when he did face those obstacles, he would be ready and he could fight. I begged him to please let me explain, but he wouldn't listen. He said that, that I used those strifes to get rid of him! That I was actually trying to put as many bruises on him as I could so that CPS would take him away so I wouldn't have to deal with him anymore! I never did it to hurt him. I love him more than my own life! I would never initially do anything to hurt him! I'd kill myself if I'd ever hurt him! Where would he get the idea that I would do anything to hurt him?!" Dirk sunk his head into his hands and continued sobbing.

"Derrick," Jane almost whispered.

"What?" Dirk looked up.

"It was all Derrick. He brainwashed Dave into believing that you didn't want him and you used those strifes to make it seem like you were unfit to take care of him, so he could ultimately get taken away," Jane admitted.

Dirk's bloodshot eyes burned fiery red with pure fury. First their bastard father took his baby brother away and now he's warped him mind into thinking that his older brother never loved him. Ohhhhhhh Derrick had better pray to God Almighty that the FBI gets to him before Dirk does.

Jane stared at Dirk and immediately knew what he was thinking.

"Dirk..."

"I'm gonna kill him. I should have done it when he told me he filed for custody. I swear Jane if he..."

"Dirk, I know you are angry and you are hurting. But believe you me when I say that we will find them. We're going to bring Derrick to justice and bring Dave home," Jane tried to install that into Dirk Strider's head. But Dirk's mind was already made up.

"Jane, what about that call? Can't y'all trace him from that?" Dirk said rubbing his chin.

In all the pandaemonium, Jane didn't even have time to think about tracking the call. She picked up the phone and looked back to the call logs. She saw it was foreign number outside of the U.S.

"What is it?" Dirk looked over and saw a blank look on Jane's face.

"Dirk, this is a foreign number. Derrick had called from outside the country."

'Oh God, that son of bitch took my baby out of the country! God only knows what he's doing!',

"Can you trace it?" Dirk said calmly, but with angry steaming in his voice.

"I can, but I need to be logged into our system to do it."

"Where can you do that?"

"Any computer, I just have to log it and I have access to all our systems."

"Use my computer," Dirk almost demanded.

Jane immediately rushed into Dirk's bedroom and brought it into the kitchen and sat it down on the table. Dirk signs in to his computer and is about to let Jane take over, when he noticed the little email icon on the corner of his screen has a message. Instinctively and unthinking, he clicks on it and it immediately opens up a message labeled 'More coming soon...'

In a instant, the images Derrick had sent him fill the screen.

Jane immediately slaps her hands over her mouth in horror and Dirk just stares at the screen with his mouth wide open, in sheer absolute shock and horror.

On the screen, were images of his beloved baby brother, in various stages of undress and/or in tight or revealing clothing. Derrick had not only sent Dirk pictures of Dave in tight clothing from the shoot, he had also included images that were taken from a camera hidden in Dave's dressing room. In between shots, when Dave was changing, about 10-20 images would be taken. Derrick made sure he included the more revealing images, just to pour a box of salt into Dirk's already hurting and aching wounds. He gone the extra mile to make absolutely certain that Dirk would never forget and would forever be haunted by those images.

Jane immediately clicked off the email, but the damaged was already done. In .5 seconds, Dirk's quivering lips let out an ear spitting shriek of horror, and he goes completely ballistic. He was clawing at his eyes, trying to get the images out of his mind. He took the computer and threw it up against the wall, shattering it to pieces. Janes just stands there in shock and horror as her friend goes on a rampage.

After a few moments, Dirk wobbles around and grabs ahold to his left arm. Before Jane can make to his side, Dirk passes out and falls to the kitchen floor.

"DIRK!" Jane cried as she got down on the floor to lift his head up, "DIRK! DIRK CAN YOU HEAR ME?!"

There was no response, Jane took off Dirk's sunglasses and his eyes were rolling to the back of his head.

"Oh God!" Jane immediately picked up the nearest phone and dialed 911.

* * *

Jane had held Dirk's hand in the ambulance the whole time, she kept telling him that he needed to be strong for Dave. As soon as the ambulance stopped, Dirk was immediately rushed into the ER. Leaving Jane to wait in the waiting room.

To this day, very rarely had Jane been as scared as right now. Dirk had just seen something that no one should ever have to see of their loved one.

Try as she might, she couldn't even get those images out of her head.

'How could someone do that to their own children?! How?! Poor Dirk, poor Dave...God only knew what Derrick done to get Dave to take those pictures. And Dirk, seen it all...oh my God!' Jane sobbed and sunk her head into her hands.

"Family for Dirk Strider," a nurse calls out.

Jane immediately jumped up, "Yes! How is he? Is he okay?" Jane asked the presiding nurse.

"Yes ma'am, he's going to be okay. He just had a mild heart attack. Other wise, he was perfectly healthy. I don't know what could have caused a sudden heart attack," the nurse says, looking over Dirk's chart.

Jane chose not to say anything about the images. She just breathed a few sighs of relief to hear that her friend was going to be okay. "When can I him?"

"Well, we gave him medication and he's resting right now. But I don't see any harm in letting you see him."

"Okay, thank you," Jane nodded.

The nurse kindly lead Jane to Dirk's room. When Jane got to the room, she saw Dirk was sleeping, so she decided not to disturb him. Instead she took the time to call her team further analyze and trace the phone call and email and to check on the search of Derrick's business. It's been three days, surely they must have uncovered something by now.

"This is agent Jane Crocker, I need to have a phone number traced. The number is 416-936-1684. I believe it's a foreign number so have it traced in every country in North America if possible." Jane called outside of Dirk's room.

"Okay Agent Crocker, we're tracking the number now. There's nothing yet, and it may take a while, so we'll give you a call as soon as we get a result."

"Okay. Also what were the findings in the search of Derrick Strider's business and home in New York City?"

"We sent Agent Baxter to give you files personally."

"Very well. Let me know when those results turn up."

Jane hung up and walked into her best friend's room and sat in the chair beside him.

'He looks so peaceful. Lord knows he deserves all the rest he can get, especially after all this...'

Jane looked up and saw a familiar face standing at the door.

"Thought I'd find you here," Agent Baxter said. Jane stepped out of the room and stepped out into the hallway with Baxter.

"You might find something quite interesting about our subject," Baxter handed Jane the file.

"How did you find me?" Jane said taking the file.

"The miracles of technology Crocker. Can track anyone down anywhere by just their cellphone."

"If only it were that easy in this case," Jane said looking over the file.

What she saw made her raise a eye brow, "Well well well, what do we have here. Tax evasion. It looks like the last time our friend Derrick paid taxes was ten years ago."

"Not only that, we ran a background check on this guy. The man had 10 assault charges filed on him in the past 12 years. But for whatever reason, all those charges were dropped. He was never brought to court."

"He paid his victims off. Kept them quiet," Jane added.

"Right. When we paid a visit to Mr. Strider's place of work, some of the faithful employees told our officers that some of the higher ups like to go to this estate in Ontario, Canada, Toronto they think, around this time of year."

"You think Derrick could have took with Dave to Canada?"

"It's certainly a possibility that we are definitely checking into."

"But, where in Toronto is this place at?"

"I don't know, we're working on that."

A moment a silence fell over the two before Jane's phone broke the ice.

"Agent Crocker," Jane immediately answers it.

"Agent Crocker, we just got the results from phone number back. I'm sorry Agent Crocker, we couldn't find anything except that the phone call was made in Ontario, Canada, near the Canadian/United States border. That's all we could come up with."

"Damn..." Jane said under her breath, "Did you double check?"

"Yes ma'am, that was it. That was all that came up."

"Very well," Jane said, "If anything else comes up, let me know."

"Got it."

Jane shut her phone and rubbed the bridge of her nose, "What do we do now?"

"Without any other leads, wait until Derrick slips up and makes a mistake."

"A mistake as in how? We can't afford to wait around until he decides that Dave is no longer useful to him and he dumps his body somewhere," Jane said louder than her normal inside voice.

"I'm sorry Agent Crocker, there's not much more we can do right now," Agent Baxter admitted.

Jane just leaned against the wall, unsure of where to go or what to do next.

"If we find anything or hear anything, we will let you know," Agent Baxter told Jane.

"Very well," Jane simply said.

With that, Agent Baxter went off.

Jane walked back into Dirk's room and saw that he was now wide awake.

"Oh my God, Dirk you're awake!" Jane said surprised, "Are you okay?"

Instead of answering, Dirk just sat up. "I heard everything Jane. As soon as I get out of here, I am going to Canada, I am going to Toronto. I am going to find him and I will kill him for what he done to my baby."

"Dirk, please be reasonable!" Jane pleaded, "You don't know where he is with Dave anymore than we do. As soon as we find something, we will find him!"

"How long will that be Janey?! You don't know, you said it yourself!" Dirk retorted. "Jane, if something happened to Dave, if that monster does something to my little man while we just waited around; I don't know what I'd do," Dirk felt a tear roll down his cheek, "What do you say Janey, are you with me?"

Jane let out a sigh, "You already know the answer to that Strider."

Dirk smirked.

* * *

"Okay, Mr. Strider. Your vitals are all good and it looks like you are ready to go home," the doctor said, checking in on Dirk, hours later.

"Thank you Doctor," Dirk said.

"I'm gonna give medication for your heart that you take twice a day, and no strenuous activity. Okay?"

Dirk smirked. "I won't make any promises," Dirk said rubbing his chin.

"Please, take it easy for the next few days. I don't want to have to see you back in here again," the doctor warned.

"Okay," Dirk lightly said.

"Very well," the doctor said, handing Dirk the release forms.

Dirk signed them and handed them back to the doctor.

"Okay, thank you Mr. Strider. You are officially free to go."

"Thank you doctor," Dirk said as the nurse wheeled him out of the room.

"You have a good day Ms. Crocker. And keep him in line," the doctor joked.

Jane smirked and shook her head, "Thank you Doctor, you too. I definitely have my work cut out for me."

* * *

When Dirk and Jane walked back into the apartment; Dirk walked over the mess he made in the kitchen earlier, got the swords he kept in the fridge out and made a B-line to his bedroom. He got his sword sharpening kit out from under his bed and meticulously sharpened each and everyone of his katanas. Completely hell bent on going to Toronto, finding Derrick and killing him.

By sending Dirk those images, Derrick Strider just sealed his own fate.


	14. Control

First off, I would like to apologize if made Dave and Dirk sound OOC in the past couple of chapters. I am so so sorry, I was not meaning to. Sometimes when I write, I have a bad tendency to forget about the character's character. So please, please forgive me if I made them sound OOC.

Anyway,

Let me just say that you guys ROCK SO FREAKING MUCH! I know I sound like a broken record by now, but I just don't know what else to say! I love you guys so much and you are all just so freaking awesome!

Thank you, thank you, thank tou so much to everyone who favorited and subscribed to this story and thank you so much to everyone who took the time out of their day to post a review for this story. You guys just seriously, do not know how much it means to me!

Please, please keep the reviews coming:)!

* * *

Chapter 14: Control

He was so angry at his bro right now he could scream. Dave furiously stormed back into his room, slamming the door behind him, and threw himself onto his bed. He reached for the nearest pillow he could get ahold of and screamed into the hapless cushion until he was red in the face.

'I can't believe him!' Dave angrily ranted in his head, 'First he signs over custody and NOW he acts all concerned about whether or not I'm okay! Why does he care?! It's not like he gives a damn about me anyway! Well screw him! I could careless if I were saw that man again for as long I live!'

After a few minutes of ranting and screaming, Dave eventually calms down and slowly sits up on his bed. He picks up the pillow that he just got through screaming bloody murder in, and holds it close to his chest. As bad as he hated to admit it, he really needed a hug right now. Even cool kids needed a hug every now and then, right? He desperately needed that reassuring, human contact that would let him know that everything was gonna be alright and work out for the better.

'But oh well, I guess the pillow would have to do.'

And as equally as bad as he hated to admit it, he wished it was his bro giving him a hug.

* * *

Derrick just laughed as he leaned back in his chair his study. He couldn't believe how extremely well everything was going. It was so easy, almost too easy. He had turned one brother against the other; to the point where younger hates the sound of his elder sibling's voice. And he had his own little personal money maker at his disposal. Those pictures Derrick had taken of Dave were going to catch him a small fortune by the end of the week.

Especially the ones he had sent Dirk.

"Oh man," Derrick throws his head back in laughter. "I wish I could see the look on his face when he opens up those gems! Maybe it'll give him a heart attack," Derrick said with far less sarcasm than usual.

Derrick looked up at the clock as he finished uploading the pictures to his 'exclusive website'.

"I need to go get David for dinner. Can't have him keeling over now that we are just getting started. Must make sure his body is getting everything it needs," Derrick said, walking out and locking the door to his study behind him.

'Especially to keep up that fine, slender physique of his,' Derrick's mind purred as he made his way to his son's room.

"David?" Derrick knocked on his door before entering, "Son, it's time for dinner."

Dave was still sitting on his bed, his head still buried in the pillow he made himself hoarse in.

"I'm not hungry," Dave mumbled.

"What's that David? I couldn't catch that?" Derrick said.

"I said I'm not hungry," Dave barked, shooting his head up from the pillow.

If Derrick hadn't had been so composed, he would have slapped Dave across the face right then.

Instead, Derrick took a stiff breath, and calmly said, "Now David. Come on now, you need to eat."

"I'm not hungry right now Dad!" Dave angrily retorted.

Derrick was beginning to lose his patience. He approached Dave and pulled him up off the bed by his arm.

"Come now David, you're a growing boy and you need to..."

"Derrick if Dave says he's not hungry then he's not hungry," Claudia said, standing in the doorway.

Derrick shoots Claudia a 'mind your own business' look.

"Claudia, David is a young, growing boy. He may not be hungry now, but he will be ," Derrick sternly said.

"That may be Derrick; but if Dave is not hungry, then he is not going to eat. He will eat when he is ready to eat. You can bring a horse to water but you can't make it drink," Claudia said firmly.

Derrick didn't say anything when he realized Claudia was right.

"Very well then. David when you get hungry in the middle of the night, don't say I didn't try to tell you," with that, Derrick exited the room, steaming in defeat.

* * *

"Are you okay, Dave," Claudia walked over to Dave, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. "What's the matter?"

Dave just shrugged, "I'm just not hungry."

Even with his shades on, Claudia could see right through him. "David, honey what is the matter?"

"I don't know, I got to talk with my bro for the first time since he gave me up. And, I don't know. He, he just sounded..."

"Sad? Distressed?" Claudia finished.

"Yeah," Dave said, "But I don't understand something. Why would he sound sad or distressed when he just gave me up like that?"

"Well, sweetie, it's because your bro loves you and still cares about you. And it sounds like to me that he misses you a whole lot," Claudia gently said.

Dave just stood there for a few moments, thinking, before saying anything else.

'Maybe, Bro still does care about me. But if he did, then why did he give me up? Everything is just so confusing...'

"Dave? Sweetie are you okay?" Claudia looked down, concerned, at Dave.

"Claudia, can I have a hug? I feel like I really need one right now," Dave said looking up.

Claudia just smiled and wrapped her arms around the boy, "You sure can sweet heart."

Dave felt a small smile creep up on his face as he lightly returned the hug.

"There, feel better now?" Claudia happily said.

Dave slightly smirked. "Eh, it's not a 'Bro Hug', but I supposed it will have to do," Dave lightly retorted.

"Oh it wasn't now?" Claudia laughed, "Well how about noogie then."

Claudia didn't give Dave time to respond, she quickly put Dave in a light head lock and gave him a few swipes up and down his scalp.

Dave let his cool kid persona slip for a moment and had a good laugh trying to get out of Claudia's grip.

"That's more like it," Dave smirked once he escaped from Claudia's grip; before putting his stone wall poker face back on.

"Good," Claudia lightly chuckled.

"Say Dave, when you get hungry, go down to the kitchen and get you something to eat okay? I'll probably still be up." Claudia told Dave before she exited the room.

"Okay," Dave said plopping down on his couch, trying to find a good movie to watch in the mean time.

* * *

At 12:30 in the morning, Dave was starving and decided to take Claudia up on her offer. He quietly tiptoed down to the kitchen to fix himself something to eat. He dug in the huge stainless steel refrigerator until he found what he was looking for. Turkey, ham, roast beef, cheese, and mayonnaise. And hidden in the back, he hit the jackpot, a full bottle of apple juice.

"Oh hell yeah! I hope Claudia doesn't mind, but I'm gone drink this whole thing," Dave unscrewed the cap and took a few swigs.

"Don't worry Dave, I don't mind," Claudia suddenly said, causing Dave to spew the liquid he already had in his mouth all over himself and the front of the fridge.

"Holy crap Claudia, you scared me!"

"I'm sorry," Claudia laughed a bit, "And don't worry about the mess, the maids will clean it up in the morning."

"Good," Dave said wiping his mouth.

Dave made him a turkey, ham, roast beef, and cheese sandwich and sat down with Claudia in the breakfast nook. It was late and the two were both tired so they didn't talk much, they just carried on light conversation here and there. When Dave finished his sandwich and what was left of his apple juice, he wished Claudia good night and quietly made his way off towards bed.

It had been a long day and he was ready to get some sleep.

'Maybe tomorrow won't be as, eventful,' Dave thought as he put his beloved shades on the nightstand and climbed into bed.

In a few short seconds after he laid his head on his pillow, he was out.

* * *

6:30 in the morning, and Dave Strider had to pee like a racehorse, due to last night's apple juice binge. He throughs his arm over to the nightstand to grab ahold of his beloved shades, when to his horror, he discovers an empty space where he laid his shades the night before. His shades were gone.

"Oh nononononono, where are they?! They gotta be around here somewhere?! I couldn't have lost them!" Dave said trying not to have a mini meltdown. His shades were his life. Arguably his greatest possession, aside from his turntables, maybe. They were the very fiber of his being; his mask to the outside world. Nobody saw him without his shades!

Dave immediately jumped out of bed, and searched everywhere around the room. Everywhere, he left no stone unturned. After virtually tearing the room apart, he still couldn't find any sign of his sunglasses. It was like they just disappeared. Or...

"Looking for these?"

Dave whips his head around and sees his father standing in the doorway, holding Dave's beloved babies in his hand.

Dave immediately rushes towards Derrick and tries to reach for them. But to no avail, Derrick holds them high above his head.

"Dad this isn't funny! Give them back!"

"I'm sorry David, I'm afraid I can't let you keep wearing these. Your eyes are too pretty to be hidden behind sunglasses," Derrick said, almost mocking him.

Oh that does it! You can tell him what to wear, you can tell him what to eat! But you mess with his shades and it's on! Dave Strider has had enough and he wants some answers!

"Alright Dad, that does it!" Dave puts his foot down, "I demand to know what is your problem! Why do you always tell me what to wear or what and when to eat?! Give me back my sunglasses! Why are you trying to control me all the time!" Dave screamed furiously at his father, unknowing or uncaring of what the consequences would be.

Derrick too had had enough, enough of Dave's 'disobedience'. He decides not to hold back any longer and reminds Dave of who is in control. He raises an arm back and slaps Dave across the face. Not hard enough to send him to the floor, but hard enough where it sends him a clear message. 'Do what I say, or face the consequences'.

Derrick grabs ahold of Dave's shirt and pulls him close to where they are just millimeters apart.

"Now you listen to me!" Derrick said in a low growled, "You are under my roof and you are under my rules. I am in control here! You do what I say, when I say it! If I say you are not to do something, you do not do it! Understand!"

Shades or no shades, there was no hiding the fear in Dave's eyes.

Shocked and terrified of his father's actions, Dave can only say in a quivering voice, "Y-y-yes s-s-sir!"

"Good," Derrick smirks as he leans down and kisses Dave on the forehead, "I only done it because I love you."

"Now, go get washed up. Breakfast is in an hour," Derrick chirped happily as he handed Dave the day's clothes, like absolutely nothing had happened.

Dave didn't know what he was more of, confused or terrified. He just stood there in shock, eyes still wide open, as his father left the room.

Claudia stood outside the door in horror of what she just witnessed. Never in her wildest dream could she have ever image Derrick laying a hand on his own son.

"Good morning Claudia," Derrick greeted as he made his way out of Dave's room. He spoke like everything that just happened 5 minutes ago never happened.

Appalled by Derrick's actions, she rushed into Dave's room to check on him.

"Oh my God! Dave honey are you alright?!" Claudia immediately rushed to him and wraps her arms around him.

Dave's face remains unreadable, but his eyes say it all. He was shocked and now scared of his father. Scared of what Derrick might do next if he doesn't obey him.

"Yeah, I'm, I'm okay," Dave quietly says, still trying to wrap his mind around what all just happened.

"Are you sure?" Claudia asked, her voice beaming in concern.

"Yes ma'am. I'm, I'm gonna go take a shower now," Dave breaks himself out of Claudia's grasp and makes his way towards the bathroom.

When she hears the water in the shower run, Claudia immediately rushes off to confront Derrick.

"Derrick!" Claudia yells as she catches up with him down the fall way.

"Ah, Claudia dear! How are you this fine morning?" Derrick asked cheerfully.

"Stop bull shitting Derrick, what the hell was that back there?!" Claudia was fuming at Derrick.

Derrick's smile began to fade. "If it's all the same to you my dear, my I suggest that you stick your nose somewhere else and mind your own business. What I do with my son and how I discipline him is none of your concern." Derrick then turned and started walking away from Claudia.

"The hell it isn't any of my concern! You turn around and talk to me face to face like a man," Claudia reached out and grabbed ahold of his arm to keep him from walking off.

An action to which Derrick responded by slapping Claudia across the face as well.

Appalled and down right pissed off by Derrick's actions, Claudia puts her foot down. "Derrick Strider! You get out of my house and don't you ever come back!" Claudia growled at Derrick.

Derrick just looked at her she was crazy and laughed.

"What the hell is so funny?! Get your sorry ass out of here before I have you arrested for assault!" Claudia warned.

"Oh Claudia, why would you want to through a poor helpless boy out onto the street?" Derrick laughed, he always had a knack for twisting people's words.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You see my dear, if I go, so will David. I am the boy's biological father, if I go, so does he."

"You aren't taking that baby anywhere! I won't let you!"

"Oh really, I would like to see you try," Derrick gave Claudia a sickening look.

"Claudia do you remember what happened to the last person that stood in my way? I do believe no one ever heard from them again, they just seemed to disappear, into thin air almost. You wouldn't want that to happen again now would you?"

Claudia's eyes widened, "You, you wouldn't."

"Oh Claudia, I am more than capable of making it happen again. Just remember my dear, if you stand in my way, I can make you disappear just like all the others."

Claudia didn't know what to do; if she kicked Derrick out, it would most like mean certain death for both her and Dave. If she didn't kick Derrick out, Derrick's abuse would most likely continue and spiral out of control. But, if she let him stay, then at least she could protect Dave. And to her that's all that mattered.

"Fine, have it your way. However, if I see you lay another hand on Dave. I will kill you myself," Claudia warned.

Derrick just laughed her off, and walked as he carried about his business.

Claudia may have been terrified of what Derrick may do to her. But she was even more afraid of what he would do to Dave if she wasn't around. For Dave's sake, and Dave's sake only, she kept her mouth shut; and made a vow to protect Dave anyway she can.


	15. Plans

I know it's the shortest one in the past few chapters, but I hope you guys will like it.

I was going to update on tomorrow, but I fell like SHiITake so I'm going to the doctor tomorrow. So I figured I'd better hurry up and get this chapter out to you guys before them. Wouldn't want to keep you all waiting you know.

Anyway, thank you all so, so, so freaking much to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and subscribed to this story. I'm being dead serious you guys, this story WOULD NOT have made it this far without all of your support! From the bottom of my heart, thank youm thank you all sooooo much!

Keep on rocking you guys!:D

And don't forget to review, those always make me feel better:)

* * *

Chapter 15: Plans

"Sorry to keep you waiting everyone," Derrick says, greeting his partners as he walks into the mansion's library, "I had to teach my son a little leason about obeying and talking back to his elders." Derrick took a seat in the armchair near the center of the room.

James and Austin smirked.

"Do you think he learned his leason?" James asked.

"I believe he did; if not, well then I can always teach it to him again," Derrick slyly grinned.

"Good," Austin stated, "A boy needs to learns the importance of respecting his elders. It's good to know that your's had finally learned his place."

"Very well, now that I have my boy under my thumb, let's talk business," Derrick said, leaning back in his chair, "Since the release of the images from yesterday's very successful photo shoot; how are we looking? Any calls for expansion yet?"

"Any calls?" Chief Marketing Officer, Laura Harper stated, "We've had at least a few dozen emails since they were released from countries begging us to expand to their territory."

Derrick grinned, "And of our site?"

"We sold at least 10 copies of each image uploaded to our site yesterday. Over 1000 images were uploaded. We are looking at a profit margin ranging in the tens of thousands! And the people are demanding more. They just can't seem to get enough of this kid," James, the Chief Financial Officer concluded.

"Also, more than a few people suggested that we should include videos on the site as well," Laura added.

Upon hearing this, Derrick connivingly chuckled.

"Very well then, what the people want, the people shall get. Ladies, gentlemen, this meeting is adjured," Derrick ended their meeting.

* * *

"What? What are they talking about? What site?" Claudia was listening in on their discussion in the hallway, through a glass pressed against the wall. She couldn't hear much, being that the library had double insulation in the walls and ceiling to keep the room extra quiet. But she had heard enough to where it made her raise an eyebrow.

"What on earth are they planning on doing?"

Claudia was left scratching her head. Other than a few faint words, she had no idea what they were talking about. The only word she could really make out was 'site'.

"The company's website doesn't have pictures on it. I wonder what site they could be talking about?" Claudia didn't know another site they could be talking about. Unless...

'Dave's pictures...No, no they couldn't possibly be talking about selling those online could they?'

The thought of Derrick actually selling pictures of his son over the internet sickened Claudia; but without solid proof, she couldn't prove anything.

"I don't know what they're planning to do or what's going on here; but what it is, I'm going to get to the bottom of it one way or another," Claudia stormed off to find some answers.

* * *

Dave stared into the foggy mirror in the now steamy bathroom after he got finished taking his shower. He wiped away the condensation that obstructed his view of his gleaming red eyes. He wished he had his beloved shades back. Of all the things his father could have taken from him, why did it have to be them?

'Control. He wants to control me any and every way he can,' Dave thought has he stared into the eyes in the mirror.

For a few minutes, he stared into the mirror. His fear filled rubies starring back at him.

Damn, he hated the way his eyes looked when he was scared. With his shades, he could hide behind them and face the world without so much as a flinch. Without them, he felt weak, vulnerable. No matter how big and bad he thought he was, or how well he wore his poker face, his eyes would tell it all.

And right now, his eyes were only saying one thing, fear. Dave Strider was now scared of his father. Never had he ever thought that his father would go this far as to striking him.

Not even Dirk had ever struck him before, outside of a strife that is.

"Bro," Dave thought back to his brother. It was always funny to Dave, how no matter how mad his bro was, even at him, that Dirk would never ever hit him.

Dave thought back to one incident when he was about 8 or something. Dave was being fussy, not wanting to go to bed; and Dirk was right in the middle of an XBox live tournament. Dirk begged Dave, pleaded with him to please go to bed. And Dave, of course, stead fast refused to do so. With his patience about to reach it's end, Dirk tells him that he can stay up and watch him play if he would just sit down and be quiet. Dave agrees to his brother's plea and goes to fix himself some apple juice while he watches his brother play. When he got back in the living room with a glass full of the sacred nectar, he tripped over a cord and dropped and spilled the whole glass on the Xbox and broke it. If there ever were a more truthful definition to the word 'mad', it was Dirk Strider at that moment. He was furious, Dave could literally see his brother's orange eyes glowing with anger behind his sunglasses. Dirk raise his fist back, and Dave braced for the devastating impact. But it never came. Instead, Dave heard a crashing sound right above his head. His brother had punched a whole in the wall to keep from punching Dave. Dave really didn't understand it at the time; but Dirk would rather cause physical harm to himself, than ever lay a hand on his baby brother. The memory ended with Dirk lifting Dave up and carrying him to his bedroom and read him a bed time story until they both fell asleep.

It was really one of Dave's favorite childhood memories of him and his bro. Because it let him know that no matter what, that his brother loved him and would never, ever, do anything to hurt him.

Dave felt his eyes becoming moist, but even without his classic shades, he quickly reminded himself that he WAS the cool kid and dried his eyes before any rebellious tears fell.

But, no matter how hard he tried to deny it, he wondered in his bro missed him, as much as he missed him.

"Maybe, maybe I should try and give him a call."

* * *

"Okay Dirk, do you have everything?" Jane said gathering up the last of everything that they would need to make it to Toronto. She had gathered put all her paper work, all the files and put them in her brief case.

"We can contact the US Embassy when we get there," Jane said, sending her partner Detective Baxter an email telling him that they were going to Toronto to look for Derrick themselves. She knew she'd probably get chewed out for it, but they couldn't wait any longer.

"Yes ma'am, I do believe I've got everything I need," Dirk said, dropping two duffle bags in the floor. One containing the necessities, and the other, containing all 8 of Dirk's swords. Which if you think about it is kinda a necessity. But it just made Jane give Dirk that 'are you serious?' look.

"What? I'm serious Jane. I'm not coming back until my little man is in my arms and I have that bastard's head on a silver platter."

Jane just shook her head, "Dirk you're either going to get yourself killed or arrested. Let us handle it!"

"I don't think so Janey. I got Dave into this mess, and I'm going to get him out. One way or another."

"How the hell are you even going to get that on the plane? TSA is going to have you detained."

"That's why it's not going on as carry on."

"You're crazy you know that?"

"I'm a man on a mission, Janey," Dirk said adjusting his sunglasses.

All Jane could do was shake her head at her friend's stubbornness.

"All well, we got to go, the plane leaves in an hour," Jane said looking at her watch.

"Alright, let's get going," Dirk said gathering up the bags.

'You can run you sick bastard, but you can't hide. We WILL find you. You better not have hurt my little man. If you laid so much as a finger on him, I will tear you limb from miserable limb.'


	16. Repercussions

Good news everyone! I went to the doctor and I'm still alive and feeling pretty good, so I'm probably not dying! THANK YOU THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO WISHED ME WELL! That just meant so much to me you guys, THANK YOU! I'm feeling better now:)

YOU GUYS ARE JUST SO AWESOME AND I FREAKING LOVE EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU SO FREAKING MUCH! YOU GUYS ROCK, JUST SO MUCH!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU TO EVERYONE HOW FAVORITED, SUBSCRIBED TO, AND OF COURSE, REVIEWED THIS STORY! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU ALL SOOOOOOO MUCH!

You guys will never know how much all your support means to me; because if it weren't for you guys, this story would have never made it as far as it has.

From the very bottom of my heart and soul, again, THANK YOU THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH!:) :) :)

And please don't forget to review:)

* * *

Chapter 16: Repercussions

"Alright, there's gotta be a phone around here somewhere," Dave said, sticking his head out his bedroom door. Dave quietly stepped out into the hall and shut his door behind him.

Dave quietly tiptoed down the hallway, sticking his head in every room he could find to see if he could find a telephone in any of them. But, he wasn't having any luck.

"That's strange, there were phones in almost every room yesterday. I wonder why they decided to take them down?"

'Well, I know there's one in Dad's room. But going in there might as well be a suicide mission,' Dave thought as he touched his cheek where his dad had slapped him earlier that morning, 'And I don't wanna relive that again.'

Dave stopped and thought for a few moments as to where he could find one, without his father knowing.

'Maybe Claudia knows where one is. I can ask her and...', Dave turned around and bumped right into James Nickel and Austin Johnson. The two business partners smirked as they looked down at the dazed teen.

"Hey Champ, where are you headed off to?" James put on a smile as he looked down at Dave.

"I'm just looking for Claudia, Sir," Dave replied all calm and collective, even though being around the two men made him feel uneasy.

"Sorry Kiddo, we haven't seen her," Austin chimed in, "But your old man sent us to come get you for breakfast."

The two associates didn't give Dave time to respond, instead they put their hands behind Dave's back and lead him into the breakfast nook. The walk to breakfast was extremely uncomfortable for Dave. Both James and Austin had to keep their hands on Dave in someway. They both would caress their hands up and down Dave's back, arms, and shoulders. In a normal situation, Dave would have told creeps like these two to screw off and go stick their heads where the sun doesn't shine. But this was by no means a normal situation. He was in a foreign country with his hostile father and his creepy ass friends. He wasn't exactly in the position to be telling anyone what to do, if he didn't want to pay for it later at the hands of his father.

* * *

"David, there you are," Derrick happily announced as Dave was lead in the room. "My, my, don't you look stunning. See how much better you look without those ridiculous sunglasses on," Derrick said as he patted Dave on the shoulder.

"Yeah, if you say so," Dave said leaning his head down. Even though he was now wearing his toughest poker face that he has had to pull off in years; he didn't want his father to read his true expression in his eyes.

Fear.

He didn't want to give that man the satisfaction of knowing that he installed fear in Dave Strider. The boy who was the very definition of the term 'cool kid'. Possibly the only kid on the face of the earth that could step on a nail, barefooted, and still give the world that 'I don't give a shit' look.

And now, without his beloved shades, the only thing hiding his true emotions were the bangs that hung in his face.

"Now David, what did I say about looking at someone when they are talking to you?" Derrick said lifting Dave's chin up, forcing Dave to look the man dead in the eye.

"When someone is talking to you, always look them in the eye," Dave said quietly.

Derrick smiled and kissed his son on the forehead, "That's a good boy."

Breakfast couldn't have been anymore awkward for Dave. Not only had Derrick taken the liberty of fixing his plate, again. But while he was eating, all the business partners were staring at him like a cow waiting to be slaughtered. And what made things even worse for Dave, he didn't see Claudia anywhere. Claudia was the only one he felt that he could really trust and not seeing her when he was around the others made him feel very uneasy.

'Where are you Claudia?'

* * *

"Son of a bitch!" Claudia slammed her head down on the computer desk in frustration. She had been looking, digging for a solid hour and she couldn't find anything. Absolutely nothing about any suspicious site or anything. She had gone to the company's website and looked for any possible clue as to hinting exactly what and where this exclusive site is and could be located. Nothing.

Even her computer hacking and code breaking skills weren't helping her any. She tried hacking into the company's website, to see if there was a specific link or code that she needed to get to the website. But every time she tried to punch something in, the system would automatically pick her up and kick her out. This was the tenth time she had tried in the past hour, and her patience was running very thin.

"I can't give up," Claudia said with her head buried in her hands, "What if they're planning on doing something awful to Dave."

'I can't go to the police without sufficient evidence. And all I have right now is just speculation, and you can't pin somebody on child abuse and possibly murder just on my word alone. If I'm going to pin that sicko, I'm going to need rock solid proof. If I go to the police, as is, the evidence at best would be circumstantial and at most the only thing Derrick would get is just a recommendation for parenting classes and MAYBE a fine and he walks. Then God only knows what he would do to Dave...'

Claudia sat back in her chair and ran her fingers through her hair, trying to think. There's gotta be something that she wasn't doing, something she was over looking. But what?

"Wait a minute..."

'What about Derrick's computer? I have tried hacking into that yet. If he was selling pictures of Dave on this website, then I thought that a link or code website would be hidden somewhere on his company's website. I didn't think to try and hack his computer. What an idiot, Claudia!'

Claudia mentally slapped herself for not doing this sooner.

She immediately looked into who all was piggy backing off the mansion's wifi coverage. She seen six connections; one for each of the business partner's computers, except one.

"Derrick's..."

'Damn, of course, he probably has his own coverage. I should know better than to think that he would be as foolish as to use somebody else's wifi, that is if he had something to hide.'

Derrick using his own coverage made it difficult for Claudia to find, let alone hack, Derrick's computer from hers.

Difficult, but not impossible.

It would take time, but Claudia was sure that if she tried hard enough, dug deep enough, that she could track it down and hack her way into Derrick's computer and uncover all his dirty little secrets.

Claudia just hoped that by the time she could, would, that it wouldn't be too late.

* * *

"Well all, it was a pleasure sitting down and chatting over breakfast; but I'm afraid that there is work that needs to be attended too," Derrick said, standing up from the table.

"David, if you would my son, please go to your room until it is time for the next shoot. We can't have you running around and getting all dirty," Derrick patted Dave on the shoulder.

"Hey Derrick, why don't you let him stay and hang with us for a while. I'm sure he'll be fine," James said

"Well I appreciate your enthusiasm to become more acquainted with young David; I'm afraid father knows best," Derrick politely explained, "David..."

"Yes sir," Dave immediately obeyed his father and hopped up.

"Good boy."

'Thank God...' This was only time that Dave could say that he agreed with his father. He did NOT want to be left alone with them, under any circumstance.

Dave walked faster than normal out of the breakfast nook and quickly made it back to the safety and security behind his bedroom door.

* * *

While his business partners continued chatting in the breakfast nook, Derrick slipped off to his study to continue his other line of work involving his 'side business'. He had big plans for his young son, very big indeed. His new clientele wanted to see more of Dave and many of them requested to see videos of the boy.

Derrick smirked and clicked on an icon on his computer. Immediately, live videos of Dave in his room fill the screen. During breakfast, Derrick paid a few of Claudia's less than faithful servants to install hidden cameras throughout Dave's bedroom and bathroom. And they were being directly uploaded to Derrick's special little website.

His clients wanted videos, they got them.

And this was just the beginning.

After the day's shoot, he had a very special treat in store for his clientele.

'Come to think of it, I think I'll send good ole' Dirky a free copy of how much fun we had today,' Derrick thought as he connivingly chuckled.

But soon, Derrick's smile faded as he thought of one impending problem.

'Claudia...'

'I was fairly certain that I sent her a pretty clear message this morning about what happens to people when they stand in my way. What if she goes and sticks her nose where it doesn't belong? She was always good at that. Oh well, if she does, then I suppose I'll just have to take care of her just like all the others.'

Derrick Strider had a rap sheet a mile long. From the time he was a teenager, he was constantly getting into trouble when people didn't do what he told them to do. Either beating them up or paying them off until he got what he wanted them to do.

Perhaps this attitude stemmed back into Derrick's early childhood when his father would beat him when young Derrick didn't do what his ruthless business tycoon father told him to do. Behavior like that, it rubs off on someone. By the time he 17, he had already been arrested for assault and battery, twice.

His father eventually had enough of paying off his son's debts to society and laid a firm warning on him. Clean up your act or you are done for.

Oh Derrick most certainly did clean up his act. And by clean up his act, I mean clean up the mess he made by getting rid of anyone who got in his way. Most of the time though, he paid people to clean up his messes for him, he was too big of a coward to do it himself.

By the time he had met Cynthia, he had two 'messes' cleaned up already.

"Cynthia..." Derrick uttered.

Cynthia Grace was the only person that Derrick Strider could say that he truly ever loved. When he met her, something in him just clicked. Like finding that long lost piece of the puzzle. He desperately wanted to change, for her.

But old habits die hard.

After Cynthia gave birth to Dirk, his old habits started to flare up again. The first time Derrick laid a hand on Cynthia out of anger, he begged her, pleaded with her to forgive him. Out of love, Cynthia forgave him, and Derrick promised that that would be the last time he would ever hit her again.

It was a promise soon to be broken. When Cynthia wouldn't do something for Derrick, he would hit her. And then feed her the same sob story all over again. And out of blind love, Cynthia would forgive him.

But soon, enough became enough.

One day, Cynthia has brought a baby Dirk with her to see his father. It was one of the only times Derrick had time to see his son, so he was excited to see them. When Cynthia let Derrick hold their 18 month old son, baby Dirk started crying. After trying to get their baby to calm down without having any luck, Derrick became angry. He slapped his 18 month old son across the face to 'give him a reason to cry'.

Cynthia snapped. She grabbed her son from Derrick and slapped him as hard as he slapped her baby. She told Derrick that she was going to the police and she never wanted to see him again. Derrick quickly grabbed her by the arm and begged her to stop and forgive him. When she refused, Derrick decided to play hard ball. He told her he could get rid of her and Dirk would whined up in an orphanage. Or that he could have Dirk taken away from her.

Absolutely terrified at what Derrick could do, she didn't file charges.

The next day, a huge bouquet of flowers, 3 dozen yellow roses, appeared at her door with a heart felt, tear stained, 5 paige long letter expressing his most sincerest apology, expressing to her how much he truly loves her and begs for her forgiveness. And attached to the letter, was the first healthy check from Derrick.

Not knowing what else to do, Cynthia called Derrick and told him that she forgave him.

This was the cycle of abuse that continued for 16 more years.

Cynthia would visit Derrick. Derrick would hit Cynthia. Then Derrick would apologize to Cynthia, telling her that he loves her. And then he sends her a fat check.

The last time Derrick saw Cynthia was the night Dave was conceived in May of 1995. Derrick and Cynthia had went out for their 17th anniversary. The had dinner at a fancy restaurant and had went to go see a movie. By the end of the night, they both had a good time. And Derrick had something he wanted to ask Cynthia. He got on one knee and re-proposed to her from all those years ago. Cynthia was alighted and accepted, thinking that Derrick had finally changed. The two went back to the hotel room Derrick had rented and consummated the relationship.

The morning after, Derrick proved Cynthia wrong yet again. After the first thing Cynthia says back to Derrick, he back hands her in the mouth. 16 years of abuse memories flooded back to Cynthia and she called their relationship off.

The last memory that Derrick has of Cynthia is her bruised face turning around and staring at him as she walked out the door.

That face is forever engraved in Derrick Strider's memory. That beautiful face, bruised and bloodied by his hand. He did love Cynthia, he really did. But now, he had a new Cynthia. Every time he looked at Dave, he saw her. The blond hair, the oval, petite face shape, the freckles on the nose and upper cheeks, all from her.

And he had him all to himself. And well, anyone else who was willing to pay high enough.

Derrick continued watching Dave through the monitor while contemplating on what to do if he had to clean up another 'mess'. Though he didn't think it was necessary, he believed he was too smart and hid everything too well for anyone to ever find. But still it was nice to have a backup plan just incase things went south.

'South? Why of course! That's a wonderful idea!'

Derrick minimized the screen and done a quick search on the Caribbean until he found a perfect getaway.

"The Dominican Republic, yes. Nice, beautiful, peaceful, poor extradition laws. Yes, it's perfect. And I think David will like it too," Derrick grinned at the computer screen.

Derrick exed out of the search and opened up the tabs containing the videos. Much to Derrick surprise, Dave had fallen asleep on his bed.

Derrick smiled at the image of his sleeping son on the monitor, "Well, I suppose we can start the shoot after lunch. There's no hurry. And besides, I'll have more to get everything set up for later."

* * *

"AHA FINALLY!" Claudia felt like her eye balls were about to fall out of her head but she finally able to break into Derrick's system. She had been working it for four straight hours, and she had to go around her butt to get to her elbow; but oh did all her hard work pay off. She hit the mother load.

Since she couldn't find a trace of Derrick's computer anywhere, she decided to hack into one of the business partners computers to get to Derrick's. She ended up hacking into James Nickel's personal computer. On his computer, he had saved the most graphic images from the website AND Nickel was currently on the website getting live coverage from the cameras hidden in Dave's room.

Through Nickel's computer, she found her way to Derrick's sick little website.

The images on the screen made Claudia sick to her stomach.

'How, how can someone deliberately do this, to their own child!' She wanted to scream, cry, through a chair out a window, do anything that would release all the anger that was pent up inside of her. But she couldn't, she couldn't afford too. A child was in grave danger and she finally had the proof she needed to stop it. And she could be caught at any moment.

She scurried in her desk draws, trying to gather up all the CDs, flash drives and floppy disks she can find so she can take everything to the police and finally have these sick bastards arrested.

It took her thirty more minutes, but she finally got all 1500 images, 16 videos, and Derrick and all his partner's names down into just 5 flash drives, that she secured in her pocket. She now had her rock solid evidence. By the time she was done, Derrick and his sick buddies would be going away for life. And then Derrick would never have contact with Dave again.

Claudia quietly tiptoed her way out of her room, down the hall and almost out the door and scott free when,

"Where do you think you're going?" Derrick said with James Nickel and Austin Johnson standing behind him.

"None of your damn business you sick bastard!" Claudia barked.

"What's that in your pocket?" Derrick said pointing to the slight bulge in her pants pocket.

Before she had time to respond, Derrick had James and Austin grab Claudia from behind and they pulled out the incriminating evidence.

"These wouldn't happen to contain any thing we wouldn't want the authorities to see now would they?" James asked pulling out the ring of flash drives from Claudia's pocket.

"I know everything Derrick! I know all about your sick little website! How could you do this to your own child?! For God's sake Derrick, he's your own flesh and blood!" Claudia screamed. "You can do whatever you want with me, just please don't hurt him! Please let him go!" Claudia pleaded.

Derrick's only reply, a half assed smirk.

"Nickel, Johnson, clean up this mess. I have a shoot to prepare for."

With that, Derrick turned around and walked back up stairs, completely deaf to Claudia's screams as she was drug down to the basement by James and Austin.

Now that he had Dave completely under his thumb and Claudia out of his way, Derrick felt it was time to get up close and personal.

* * *

My name is Autumn Artist and I am addicted to Law & Order: SVU...


	17. Reveal

You guys, are just so amazing! You guys I seriously love each and every one of you and from the bottom of my heart, I cannot thank you enough for all you have given me!

Thank you, thank you, thank you all soooooo much for all the wonderfully reviews, favorites and subscriptions! You guys seriously do not know who much it means to me to see that so many people like this story!

From the every bottom of my heart and with every once of my being, thank you thank you all sooooooo much!

PLEASE keep the reviews coming:)!

* * *

Chapter 17: Reveal

The cries and screams of agony echoed in the small room in the basement for what seemed like an eternity. Until, after one final blow, they stop.

A bound, and bloodied Claudia lied motionless on the floor. While her two assailants, grinned wickedly over their apparent victory. To the un-keen eye, it may to appear that the two men had succeeded in taking the woman's life. But appearances can be oh so deceiving.

'I-I-I c-can't. I have t-to sur-vive. Dave, I ha-ve to h-elp Dave.' Claudia's mind rang. Claudia was still hanging on. She wouldn't allow herself to succumb. Not when there was so much riding on her survival. An innocent child was at stake, and she was his only hope.

Claudia peeked through her matted hair that hung in her face and locked her eyes on the two men that stood before her.

"What do you think, Johnson? Do you think she's dead yet?" James Nickel smirked, wiping his mouth with the back of his bloody hand.

"Heh, she has to be," Austin Johnson said popping his bloody knuckles, "That last blow ought to have done it."

Claudia winced as she heard the two men chuckle. They could have went ahead and got it over with by putting a bullet in her or slitting her throat. But no. They wanted to make it hurt. They wanted her suffering to be prolonged. They wanted to show her what exactly happens when you stand in their way.

"Come on, help me lift her up," James said, pulling on Claudia's arms, "I don't want to get blood all over me. I gotta look nice if I plan on popping that mighty fine cherry upstairs tonight."

"You honestly think that Derrick would let your ugly ass go first? I have a news flash for ya, you'll have to wait your turn," Austin smirked, grabbing ahold of Claudia's legs.

'Just play dead Claudia, just play dead. As soon as the coast is clear, I can go get help.' Claudia thought as she was carried out of the basement and into the garage.

"Here, let's put her in the trunk of her car," James said, taking the keys from Claudia's pocket and popping the trunk.

James and Austin stuff Claudia into the trunk of her own car; but before they close the lid, Austin throws the key ring with the flash drives on it into the trunk with her.

As soon as they shut the lid, Claudia quickly grasped ahold of the key ring.

"Make sure this goes along with her," Austin said.

"Right," James said, "You take her car and I'll take my car."

"Where are we going?" Austin said, getting into Claudia's Jaguar.

"Just follow me. There's a dump by the Docks that hardly anyone goes to. It'll be perfect," James said, hopping into his own car.

With that, the two men drove off to put the final nail in the coffin of their dastardly plan.

* * *

"Flight 404 from Houston is now landing," a voice over the intercom at the Toronto International Airport announced.

"Alright Janey, what do we do from here?" Dirk said as he and Jane made it into the terminal.

"Well I don't know Mr. Bring-Eight-Swords-And-Go-On-A-Hunting-Spree, you tell me," Jane still couldn't get over the fact that not only had Dirk Strider taken eight katanas with them, but also somehow managed to get them on the plane.

"Hey, I will knock every door in this city until I find some answers."

Jane just shook her head, "I know you will. So aside from doing that, our best bet would be to go to the U.S. Embassy here. They should be able to help us find them."

"Alrighty, now where's the baggage claim? I plan on putting those puppies to good use," Dirk said, pushing his shades up.

Jane could only sigh, thinking that it would be absolutely pointless to convince her dear friend of anything else. So she quietly lead the way to the baggage claim.

'Don't worry Little Man, Big Bro is coming.' Dirk's eyes shined with fierce determination. He was determined to either leave this city with his baby brother safe in his arms or he was going to be going back to Houston in a wooden box.

* * *

"This will be good right here," James said stopping when they reached a good distance inside the abandoned dump.

He go out of his car got a couple of gas cans from his trunk as Austin was getting out of Claudia's car.

"We've gotta torch it, we've gotta make sure that absolutely nothing is left behind," James said.

James and Austin then began to pour both 5 gallon cans all in and over Claudia's car.

Claudia was terrified when she heard a pouring noise over the trunk, she knew that only meant one thing.

'Oh my God! They're going to light me on fire! What am I going to do?!' Claudia was to terrified to utter a word.

After they emptied both cans into and onto the vehicle, Austin lit a match, and set the car ablaze. The watched for a moment as the car was quickly engulfed in flames before speeding off in James's getaway car.

Claudia couldn't feel her impending death, but she could smell it. The smell of smoke and gasoline was over powering. She banged frantically on the trunk's door, trying to get it jar open. But it wouldn't. All she could do was pray to God that help would soon find her.

* * *

"I called a cab, it should be out here," Jane said as she and Dirk walked out of the air port after collecting Dirk's bag of death.

"There it is, number 14," she said pointing to the farthest cab to their left.

"Where to?" the cab driver asked as Dirk and Jane got in the back. Dirk having all their bags in hand.

"The U.S. Embassy," Jane says.

"Okay, but we're gonna have to take a detour down by the docks. There was a bad wreck up town and this is the only way around it if you two want to get there anytime soon," the cab driver informs.

"That'll be fine," Jane said.

When the cab gets close to the dock, Jane notices smoke lurking up from. Call it her detective instinct picking up, but Jane could immediately sense that something was wrong.

"Driver, could you go toward's that smoke?" Jane asked.

"Sure thing Miss," the cab driver turned off the road going toward the docks and followed the smoke all the way to the abandoned dump.

"Oh my God! Call the fire department!" Jane said when she saw something, a car, engulfed in flames.

Immediately after the cab stopped, both Dirk and Jane rushed toward the flaming inferno.

It was nearly too hot to do near, but the both heard screaming and pounding in the trunk of the burning car.

Without a second thought, Dirk rushed back to the cab and grabbed one of the swords from his bag. He ran back to the car and thrust the blade under the lid and pried open the lid.

What they saw made both of their jaws drop.

From the smoke raises a pair of bound hands with something clenched in them.

"P-Pl-ease, you, you have to help me!" Claudia coughed.

"Oh my God ma'am! What happened! Who done this to you?!" Dirk immediately pulled Claudia out of her certain death.

Claudia is in a daze, nearly five minutes of sheer smoke inhalation has taken it's tole. She looked up at Dirk. There was something strange about the man that had rescued and was now holding her. He seemed familiar somehow. Like she already knew him. But how? Unless...

"Dave?" Claudia mumbles.

"What?" Dirk looked at Claudia confused.

"You, you look just like Dave. You, you must be Dave's brother," Claudia almost whispers, trying to catch her breath.

"You, you know where Dave is?" Dirk looked wide eyed at the woman, "Please, please tell me where he is!" Dirk frantically begged the woman.

Dirk could hear the paramedics and fire department now approaching.

174 Carswell Ave. Please, you have to hurry. Dave's in trouble. Derrick he, he took pictures," Claudia slowly lifted up her hands that clenched the flash drives, "He's, he's going to do much more," having told all she could muster, Claudia finally slipped into unconsciousness just as the paramedics take her load her onto a gurney.

As soon as the paramedics lift Claudia out of Dirk's arms, Dirk immediately rushes toward Jane.

"Jane! Jane I know where they are! 174 Carswell Ave." Dirk frantically said. Dirk didn't give Jane time to respond before bolting off toward the cab that was still waiting on them and jumped in.

"174 Carswell Ave. Hurry!" Dirk demanded.

'You're not getting away this time Derrick! I will kill you if it's the last thing I ever do!'

Jane saw the cab speed off toward the address. She informed the arriving police officers of what just occurred and accompanied them as they sped off toward the address the woman gave them.

Jane just prayed that Dirk didn't do anything stupid before they got there.

* * *

"Ah man, what time is it?" Dave said rubbing his, sitting up on his bed. The mid-morning light filling the room was hurting his eyes.

'Damn sensitive eyes, and damn Dad for taking my shades.' Dave was left no choice but to squint as his eyes adjusted to the light.

"Maybe it'll be darker in the hallway," Dave said trying to shield his eyes.

Dave quietly stepped out of his room and into the hallway when he noticed something strange.

"It's quiet around here, almost too quiet," Dave said taking a few steps down the hallway, "I wonder where everyone is? Maybe I can try to find Claudia now and ask her where a phone is?"

Dave quietly walks down the hall, but stops when he sees a door slightly ajar. Quietly, he pokes his head inside the door.

"Hello?" Dave calls out. He looks around the room and sees a fairly large desk over toward the back of the room with a computer and phone on it.

"This must be Dad's study," Dave said taking a few steps into the room.

'What are you doing man! If Dad finds out you were in here, he's gonna kill you!'

Dave slowly turns around and is fixing to walk out the door when,

'Well, it'll only be for a second.'

Dave quickly tiptoes over toward the phone, when two documents catches his eye.

"What's this?" Dave says unfolding one of them.

It was the custody paper with Dirk's signature on, and just out of curiosity, he picked up the other one.

It was another document with Dirk's real signature on it.

Dave closely examined the signatures and saw that they were exactly the same.

Dave's eyes widen in horror, Dirk's signature was NEVER the same twice, NEVER! Dave finally realized the truth, his father had lied to him the ENTIRE time. He kidnapped him and made both him and his brother suffer for his own personal gain. Dave was so angry he felt like he would explode.

"THAT SON OF A BITCH!" Dave roared.

Instead of exploding, Dave pounded his fists on the desk out of anger and fury; in which disrupted the screensaver on Derrick's computer.

When Dave looked over toward the computer, and was absolutely horrified at what he saw. On the monitor were the cameras from his bedroom and bathroom.

"Oh my God..." Dave put a hand over his mouth. His father had been filming him.

'He, he actually put cameras, IN MY BEDROOM AND BATHROOM! OH MY GOD!'

Dave felt like he was going to be sick he was so disgusted.

Just when he thought he never felt so sick and violated in his entire life, he discovered a minimized link at the bottom of the computer screen.

Dave instinctively clicked on it, and over a thousand images of himself flooded the screen.

Now Dave never felt so sick and violated in his entire life. Dave didn't know what he was more of at that moment, horrified or sickened to his stomach.

Right at that second, it was probably sickened to his stomach. He through his hand over his mouth and was about to empty the contents of his stomach, when he turned his head and saw his father standing in the middle of the room.


	18. Wrath

You guys, I just love you guys so much! You guys will never know how much your support means to me!

You know Friday was a pretty rough day for me and my family. Friday we had to take my aunt and three of my cousins to the airport, to wish them off as they started their new life in Colorado. It was a pretty sad time for all of us, (and then some genius decided it would be a good idea to play Titanic music on the violin in front of the terminal. So that didn't help!). Anyway, I was coming home and feeling a bit down, when I read most of y'all's comments and y'all made me feel so much better. Y'all do not know how much it means to me when I get to read one of y'all's reviews or see that somebody has favorited or subscribed to this story. It just means so much to me!

I will admit it you guys, there were times during this story when I wanted to give up on it. But guys, pulled me threw! You guys wrote this story, you guys gave me the encouragement to keep going!

So from the very bottom of my heart and soul, thank you THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH!

Keep on rockin' you guys!

And don't forget to review:)

* * *

Chapter 18: Wrath

Dave felt like a deer caught in the headlights, with a semi truck headed for him at full speed. And if he didn't jump soon, he was going to be splattered.

"Have you forgotten your lesson I taught you this morning?" Derrick seemed to growl.

Derrick was glaring at him like a predator fixing to pounce on a wounded prey.

And like a predator, he was coming closer to his prey.

It was safe to say that at this moment, Dave was absolutely scared shitless. He slowly backed away from the desk; but with every move he made, his father countered. He was trapped.

Or, so it seemed.

When Derrick moved away from the front of the desk, Dave saw his chance.

In an adrenaline filled fight-or-flight moment, he jumped up onto and over the desk. As soon as his feet hit the floor, Dave took off running as fast as he could.

Fast, but not fast enough.

Before he could even reach the door, Derrick ran and caught him by the hem of his shirt. Literally snatching him back like a yoyo.

Oh the flight moment had done passed, Dave was now ready to fight.

And so was Derrick.

"You son of a bitch! Let me go!" Dave was kicking and screaming as Derrick was dragging him back towards the desk.

"You're been a very, VERY bad boy David. Plundering in your father's things without his permission. I think you need to relearn your lesson," Derrick growled as he slammed Dave back down on the desk.

Derrick pinned Dave's arms way above his head; and held Dave's flailing legs down with his knees, completely immobilizing him.

Now that Derrick was on top of him, with their faces just inches apart. In what could only be described as either a very bold, or very foolish move; Dave summoned all the mucus in his sinuses into his the back of his throat, and spit in Derrick's face.

With a disgusted look on his face, Derrick leaned his head back. He took both of Dave's wrists into one hand and used the other hand to wipe away the saliva and mucus that was now dripping off his face.

With rage now filled in his eyes, he glares back down at Dave before he unleashes his wrath.

"Lesson number one, do not ever,"

Slap.

"go through my things,"

Slap.

"ever,"

Slap.

"again,"

Derrick yelled as he slapped Dave across the face.

Dave tried, but he could help the cry that escaped his lips every time his father's hand made contact with his face.

With tears now trickling down the sides of his face, Dave turned his head to keep from facing his enraged father.

But the act only infuriated Derrick even more.

"Lesson number two," Derrick switched hands.

"Always look at me when I'm talking to you,"

Slap.

"And lesson number three,"

Dave braced for impact.

"Never,"

Slap.

"ever,"

Slap.

"spit,"

Slap.

"on,"

Slap.

"me,"

Slap.

"ever,"

Slap.

"again,"

Slap.

By the time Derrick was done, both Dave's cheeks were now heavily bruised cheeks and there was a small stream of blood coming down from both his nose and mouth. At this point, Dave could careless about his cool kid persona; he just let the tears flow.

"Ahh now look what you made me do, David. You made me hurt that pretty little face of your's," Derrick fake cooed as he wiped the tears away from Dave's eyes, "Oh, but don't worry. A little cream and we can make you look all pretty again for our friends," Derrick practically purred in Dave's ear.

"What?" Dave sniffled.

"Oh I almost forgot to tell you the good news. We don't have to worry about that pest Claudia snooping in our business anymore," Derrick smiled.

"W-what? Claudia?! What did you do to her?!" Dave yelled.

"Oh I just had her taken care of, that's all," Derrick evilly chuckled.

"No, no no no! Claudia!" Dave cried out with fresh tears rolling down his face.

"Oh don't worry my son, she's in a much better place now," Derrick continued chuckling.

'No, nononono Claudia!' Dave's thoughts cried.

"That's not all the good news David, the adoption went through!" Derrick happily said.

'Oh no...' Dave thought.

The adoption being approved meant that Derrick now had legal authority to do whatever he wanted to do with Dave.

"And that means," Derrick wickedly grinned, "you now belong to me," Derrick finished by whispering in Dave's ear.

Derrick looked down at Dave with lust filled in his eyes; before he separated the gap between them and pulled Dave into a deep, rough kiss.

Dave cried and screamed frantically as his father explored his mouth with his tongue. Dave fights with everything he's got, but his father is just too strong and too overpowering.

Derrick uses his spare hand to explore his young son's body and stopped when his hand grabbed a firm, strong hold of Dave's butt.

Feeling his father molest his body made the sickening feeling in Dave's stomach return with vengeance.

Dave could feel the bile from his stomach rise into his esophagus as Derrick tried to undo pants.

In a last ditch effort to save himself from his impending doom, Dave bites down on Derrick's tongue to keep him from jerking away as he puked in his father's mouth. When Dave let go after finished emptying his stomach into his father's mouth, Derrick recoiled in disgust and horror, briefly letting go of Dave.

"YOU LITTLE..."

Dave doesn't allow his father time to finish his sentence. Dave grabs the corded telephone on Derrick's desk, and coldcocks him upside the head with it.

Derrick falls off of Dave and on to the floor.

With Derrick incapacitated for the moment, Dave makes his escape.

* * *

"Son of a bitch! Where is it?!" Dirk roared in the back seat.

"Don't yell at me buddy, I'm doing my best to find it," the hapless cab driver replied to Dirk's hollering.

The had been driving for about 5 minutes now and they couldn't find a Carswell Ave. anywhere. And every minute that passed by was just making Dirk angrier and angrier. If Derrick could do that to, for all Dirk new, a perfect stranger; Dirk's mind wouldn't go to where he knew Derrick could do to his baby brother.

'I'm hurrying as fast as I can Little Man. Big Bro is on his way, just hold on just a little bit longer,' Dirk's mind thought.

Dirk kept eyeing the road they were on, trying to see any sign of a turn off or fresh tire tracks or anything. About another mile up the road they were on, Dirk found exactly what he was looking for. Fresh tire tracks.

"It's gotta be there, turn down there. Follow those tire tracks," Dirk directed.

The cab driver turned down the gravel road until the reached Carswell Ave.

"Perfect," Dirk said wiping out his phone to call Jane.

Jane was riding in a police vehicle with two officers, with half the Toronto Police Dept. behind her. They were following Dirk in the cab as fast as they could, but when they turned a curve, they lost sight of them. And they were fixing to pass the road that lead to Carswell Ave when,

"Dirk, where are you?" Jane said answering her phone.

"Jane, I found the road that leads to Carswell Ave.. Do you see a turn off that has a bunch of tire tracks by it."

Jane looked ahead of her and saw that they were approaching the turn off, "Yeah I see it."

"Turn down it and it'll lead onto a gravel road."

Jane gave the officers Dirk's directions.

"Okay, you're going to keep going straight until you hit a fork in the road. Turn left, Carswell is that way."

"Okay, we're on our way. We have half the Toronto police department behind us," Jane informed Dirk.

"Okay, I see the mansion. Oh man, it's huge. Alright Jane, I'm going in," Dirk said before he hung up.

"No wait Dir...uhhhh," Jane sighed as she heard the line go dead.

She could only pray that they got there before Dirk done anything stupid.

"This is it! Stop here," Dirk told the taxi driver.

As soon as the taxi stopped, Dirk threw the bag now containing 7 of his swords over his shoulder and bolts out of the cab. Dirk ran up the driveway and ducked under the half open garage door. There, he gained his entrance into the mansion from an unlocked door in the garage.

* * *

Dave felt like his feet had sprouted wings. He had never run so fast in his life. And he keeps running until he sees his salvations, the light at the end of the tunnel. The front door at the bottom of the stair case. All he had to do was make it down the stairs and,

"Where do you think you're going?"

Dave heard as he was grabbed from behind by two strong pairs of arms.

Dave turned around and saw the absolute last two people he wanted to see, James Nickel and Austin Johnson.

'Oh f...'

"You wouldn't happen to be going anywhere would you?" James slyly asked.

"Leave me alone!" Dave desperately tried to get away from their grip.

"Hey what's the matter Kid? Don't you like it here with us anymore?" Austin added.

Dave didn't even bother responding to that.

"Hey what happened to your face?" James said pointing out the bruises on both sides of Dave's face.

"That's not good for business, we want you to look all nice and pretty for our customers," Austin slickly said.

"You get away from me you sick bastards!" Dave screamed as he tried desperately to get away.

"Now now David, watch your language. I guess we'll have to talk to your father about that mouth of yours," James grinned.

Dave's eyes widened in sheer horror as James and Austin drug him back down the hallway to his now more pissed off than ever father.

Dave was kicking and screaming the whole way, trying is absolute best to get escape from the two men's clutches. But like his father, the men were too big and too strong for him to overcome.

The two men drag a kicking and screaming Dave until they see Derrick stumble out of his office.

"What happened to you boss? You look rough," James asked.

"I was trying to teach my son a lesson when things got a little out of control," Derrick said composing himself, while glaring down at Dave.

Dave was petrified with fear, he couldn't say or do anything.

"Well aren't you the trouble maker. I would think you learned your lesson the first time," Austin sickly chuckled.

"Yes, it would seem so but it looks like I'm going to need help in teaching my son his lesson. If you two gentlemen would be as so kind, I'd greatly appreciate it," Derrick basically just gave James and Austin to have their way with his son.

Dave frantically tried and run as fast as he could; but before he could even move an inch, both James and Austin grabbed ahold of him and picked him to keep his from escaping.

"Don't worry little boy, we won't be as rough as your old man. We'll be gentle, at first," Both men wickedly grinned.

"NO! SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME!" Dave cried to the top of his lungs as he was carried into a room by his sick father and his twisted friends.

He prayed that someone, anyone would come and save him before...


	19. Revenge

You guys, just continue to blow me away with each and every update. Seriously you guys, thank you thank you thank you soooooo much for all of your support throughout this story! I know I've said this a thousand times, and I'll say it a thousand more; but you guys are awesome! You guys rock so much! If it wasn't for all of your support and encouragement, I would have given up on this story a LONG time ago!

From the every deepest darkest bottom of my heart, thank you thank you thank you all sooo much to everyone who reviewed, favorited and subscribed to this story. You are just amazing!

And please, don't forget to review!:)

* * *

Chapter 19: Revenge

'Where are you Little Man,' Dirk mentally screamed as he ninjaed his way from one uninhabited room to the other, hoping to find any sign of either Dave or Derrick. And so far, the only thing he was finding was that his fuse was growing shorter and shorter by the millisecond. He couldn't find a soul to be seen anywhere. It was like the place was deserted.

"Maybe that woman told me the wrong add,"

"NO! SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME!"

'NO!' Dirk mentally screamed, instantly recognizing the terror filled voice.

"DAVE!" Dirk screamed as he took off running towards the horror filled scream without so much as a second thought.

"Dave! Dave where are you?!" Dirk frantically called out.

Dirk stopped when he got to the base of the stairs and tried to listen to where the screaming was coming from.

"NO! PLEASE, PLEASE STOP!"

Dirk felt tears pour down his eyes as he heard his beloved baby brother beg and scream for mercy.

"Don't worry Little Man! I'm coming!" Dirk cried to the of his lungs as he rocketed up the stairs.

'Derrick, you better pray to God for mercy, cause I won't have any!'

* * *

"NO! PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!" Dave begged as James and Austin threw him on the bed in the camera filled room and Derrick locked the door behind them. Derrick had perfected this room just for this, he didn't want anyone disturbing them.

James and Austin stared into Dave's terrified, teary eyes as they pinned him down to the bed.

"Don't worry pretty boy, if you behave we won't have too," James said holding Dave's face in his hand, licking the trickling trail of tears flowing freely down his face.

Dave could only turn his head away in sheer horror and disgust as both of the men explored his lean body with their big, filthy hands.

Dave was too tired, and they were too strong for him overcome them. But that doesn't mean he still didn't try. Dave fought, kicked, and bit with everything he had left in him. But the only thing he achieved was adding more bruises to his already bruised face.

"Looks like it's going to have to be the hard way then," Austin said.

Austin ripped his shirt open and started biting down on his nipples. While James rolled Dave over and undone his pants and yanked them down to his knees, completely ripping off his underwear in the process. Causing Dave to cry out in even more fear of what is too come.

"D-DAD, DAD PLEASE, PLEASE HELP ME!" Dave begged his father, who just stood there and watched as his two friends sexually assaulted his son.

"That's right, cry for daddy little boy," James said giving Dave a good smack on the butt.

"Don't worry my son, Daddy is right here," Derrick said as he climbed on top of his sobbing child.

"DAD, DAD PLEASE, WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!" Dave pleaded, tears furiously pouring down his face.

"Because, my boy, you need to be taught a good, HARD, lesson," Derrick leaned down and whispered into Dave's ear.

Dave tried with all his might to fight and get away, but the three men holding him down were just too strong.

While James and Austin held down Dave's upper body; Derrick grabbed ahold of his shaking son's hips, unzipped his pants and pressed himself up against Dave, when...

"DAVE!" Dirk screamed as kicked in the door to the room, sword already in hand. Dirk burst into the room with his sword raised and ready to fight, but in the sight that stood before him, he froze in absolute horror.

There was his poor innocent baby brother; bent over the side of a bed, naked if not for his torn shirt and his pants yanked down to his knees. Being held down by two men as their father was fixing to...

"Why hello there Dirk, how good it is to see you," Derrick said looking up at his eldest son, "Care to join us? We were just fixing to start having fun."

"BRO?! BRO IS THAT REALLY YOU?! PLEASE BRO, HELP ME!" Dave cried turning his head around, trying to get a glimpse at his bro.

"Oh Bro, it really is you!" An ear-to-ear joy filled smiled drew itself onto Dave's face once he finally saw his brother. His bro was here to save him!

Even though Dave couldn't see Dirk's eyes, Dirk could see his. Dirk saw all the pain, all the fear, that a human being could express were in those two blood shot rubies.

"Dave...oh my God Little Man!" Dirk finally spoke as tears trickled down the sides of his face.

"Bro..." Dave sniffled, after all the horrible things he said to him the night before, his bro was still there for him right when he didn't him the most.

Dirk had to close his eyes for a moment, he couldn't stand the sight of his baby brother like that. He opened them and put a death glare on the man responsible for all this. All the anger towards the man that Dirk had experienced through this whole ordeal had come back with vengeance and hit him like a ton of bricks.

Dirk had his sword in a death grip, he took off running towards Derrick at full speed.

"You...YOU! I'LL KILL YOU MOTHERF..."

"Nah ah uh, son. I'd be careful what you do with that thing," Derrick said pulling out his 12 inch bowie knife, grabbing a fistful of Dave's hair as he stuck the blade to his throat, "Someone could get hurt."

The knife was pressed so hard up against Dave's throat that every breath caused the blade to dig deeper into his skin, even drawing blood in some places. Causing several cries to escape from Dave's lips.

Not wanting to anymore harm to come to his beloved baby brother, Dirk lowered his sword as he stopped dead in his tracks.

Derrick smirked, "Good boy, we wouldn't want anything bad to happen to this little beauty now would we," Derrick mocked Dirk as he pulled Dave closer to himself.

"I don't believe you all have met," Derrick said looking over toward James and Austin.

"Dirk, these are two of my business partners, James Nickel and Austin Johnson. Nickel, Johnson, this is my eldest son Dirk. He..."

The approaching sound of sirens began to creep into the room.

"Well, I believe that that is enough chit-chat. It's time for David and I to get going," Derrick said as he adjusted himself and pulled Dave's pants back up while still holding the knife to his throat.

"YOU'RE NOT TAKING HIM ANYWHERE!" Dirk yelled as he was fixing to charge at Derrick again, but he was quickly reminded of who held the cards here.

"Oh I don't think you're on the grounds of giving the orders here," Derrick said as he pulled Dave up, with the knife still held close up to his throat. With one arm wrapped around his terrified son and the other holding Dave's life in the balance, Derrick began dragging Dave toward the door on the other side of the room.

Dave began kicking and screaming for his brother to help him, but in deathly fear for his brother's life if he done so; Dirk very, very reluctantly held his ground. Dirk wanted absolutely nothing more than to rip that's scum of world's head clean of his shoulders; but as long as Derrick still held the life of his baby brother in his hands, he was powerless to do so.

"Nickel, Johnson, take care of my eldest son. I can't risk him meddling in my affairs any longer," Derrick said as he continued to drag Dave out of the room.

"NO! BRO! DON'T LET HIM TAKE ME!" Dave screamed as he was drug out of the room.

"DAVE! NO, DON'T WORRY! BIG BRO IS COMING!" Dirk started to bolt for the door, but the two burly men blocked his way.

* * *

"Where do you think you're going?" both men said popping their knuckles, trying to intimidate Dirk.

"Get the hell out of my way!" Dirk demanded, not showing one ounce of fear toward the larger men.

Noticing their threats done little, if nothing to successfully intimidate their would-be victim, they tried a different tactic to get under his skin.

"That was one mighty fine, tight piece of ass, your brother was. I'll have to pay him another visit tonight," James cockily said.

Dirk felt his eye and the corner of his mouth twitch.

The men took notice these involuntary facial movements and decided to play with them a bit more.

"Awww, what's the matter Dirk, you don't like to share?" Austin toyed, "What? Don't act like you're never tapped that before."

The two men's words made Dirk's blood boil and his complexion turned an odd shade of red. No one, and I mean NO ONE messed with his little man, in ANY way, shape, or form, and lived another day.

Oh no, Dirk was about to open up a Texas-sized can of Whoop Ass on the two men.

Dirk put his sword down on the bed beside him, before he lunged at the two men. Dirk grabbed both of them by the throat and slammed them up against the wall.

"YOU LISTEN TO ME YOU SORRY SACKS OF SHIT! I WOULD NEVER IN MY LIFE LAY SO MUCH AS A FINGER ON MY BABY! THAT BOY MY LIFE AND I WILL PERSONALLY KILL ANYONE WHO DARES TO PUT THEIR HANDS ON HIM!" Dirk yelled at the two men, just inches away from their face.

Dirk could look into both the men's eyes and see the sheer fear deep within them. But, before he launches his attack, Dirk has one last thing to say.

"Oh and by the way," Dirk leans real close to whisper something into James' ear and growls, "You won't live to see tonight."

* * *

"There, this ought to keep you quiet," Derrick said as he wrapped the last bit of duck tape around Dave's mouth and wrists.

With his wrists taped behind his back and duct tape wrapped around his mouth, Dave was helpless as Derrick led him from room to room and down another stair case as they heard the police storm into the mansion.

Derrick peeked down the mansion's main hallway and saw a few police officer make their way upstairs. The garage was on the other side of the hallway. If he could sneak by them undetected, he could get to his car with Dave and drive off to make his next escape.

When he thought the coast was clear, Derrick tightened his grip around Dave and made it about half way across the hall when,

"FREEZE! FBI!"

Dave instantly recognized the voice.

"AAANNNEEEEE!" Dave tried to scream as loud as he could with the duck tape around his mouth.

Jane Crocker stood in the middle of the hallway with her gun drawn and pointed straight at Derrick.

"Let him go Derrick!" Jane ordered as she slowly started to approach them.

"Uh ah uh, I'd watch how many steps I was taking if I were you," Derrick said holding the knife close to Dave's throat, causing Dave to cry out again. "Back off, or this knife just might slip."

Fearing for Dave's life, Jane withdrew her weapon and didn't take another step further.

"Derrick, please, let's talk. What do you want?" Jane tried to negotiate with him.

"What do I want? Why I have everything right here," Derrick said, referring to Dave.

Derrick then began to steadily continue making his way toward the garage. Jane slowly followed him into the garage.

"I'm warning you! You take another step, and you'll be finding pieces of him from here to Houston!" Derrick warned as he saw Jane follow him into the garage.

Without putting Dave's life in serious jeopardy, Jane could only peak her head around the corner of the door and watch as Derrick threw Dave into the back seat of his Escalade and drive off toward the back drive way.

When Derrick started driving off, Jane tried to shoot his tires out of his speeding away Escalade. But when she got to the third shot, her gun jammed.

Jane could only stand there as she saw Derrick drive off with Dave in the Escalade.

* * *

By the time that Dirk had got finished, death was now welcomed with open arms by the two men. No, Dirk didn't kill them. He felt that death would have been too easy on them. He just made them wish that they were dead.

Being the main instigated, James' face was beaten to a near unrecognizable bloody pulp, he was missing about 60% of his teeth and 20% of his blood was coagulated all across the room. Both his arms and legs were broken in multiple places. And due to Dirk using him as his own personal trampoline, every few, if not all, of his ribs were broken.

Austin got away with fewer, but still a staggering amount of injuries. While his face still had some shape left to it, his jaw was crushed and all of his front teeth lie somewhere, scattered across the room. And like James, both of his arms and legs were broken in multiple places. However, not very many of his ribs were broken.

Dirk stood back and wiped his bloodied fists onto his pants. He looked over at his katana that lied untouched through the savage beating. He thought about using it, but that would have been more mercy than the two deserved.

However, he thought of one way he could use it.

"Alright you miserable piece of shit! Where is Derrick? Where did he take my baby?! Tell me or the pain you're feeling now will be nothing in comparison," Dirk said pointing the sword to Austin's throat.

"To,"

*cough*

"the, airport. He, he has his own plane. He's going to the Dominican Republic," Austin gritted what was left of his teeth.

"Thanks," Dirk simply says as he grabbed his bag of death and quickly ran out of the room before the police stormed in.

Dirk ran from room to room and ultimately down the stair case that led to the hallway across from the garage. Dirk heard gun shots being fired and automatically assumed the worst.

"Dave!" Dirk yelled as he ran into the garage.

When he got into the garage and was surprised to see Jane in there.

"Jane, what happened? Where's Derrick?" Dirk asked as he approached her.

"Dirk, I'm so sorry, I had them. Derrick had Dave at knife point, I was scared that if I tried to take a shot that, that Derrick would...And then Derrick drove off with Dave and I tried to shoot the tires out but the gun jammed," Jane sobbed.

"Oh Jane, we have to hurry! Derrick is going to the airport, he's going to the Dominican Republic. If we don't get there soon..."

"Go," Jane said.

"What?" Dirk looked at her confused.

"Go get that son of bitch and get that baby back! I'll have all the units right behind you. There's no way he'll be able to escape," Jane said with fierce determination.

Dirk didn't need to be told a third time.

"Yes ma'am," Dirk smirked as he smashed the window of a Mercedes open with the handle end of his katana.

He opened the door, but he couldn't find the keys anywhere. It's a good thing he's hot wired a few cars in his day.

"How do you know how to hot wire?" Jane could not help but ask.

"Me and English, partners in crime in high school," Dirk said as he twisted the last few wires together, starting the car.

"Alright, which was did he go?" Dirk said getting in the car.

"He went down that way," Jane said pointing down the back drive way.

"Okay, I'm on it," Dirk said flooring it, taking off down the secret back drive way.

'Please Dirk, be careful,'


	20. The End?

Well you guys, this is it. This is the last chapter! It's been an AMAZING ride but, I'm afraid this is the end.

From the very bottom of my heart and soul, I would like to thank you guys so much for all the support you have given me throughout this story! For all the highs and lows, you guys were there! And I can never thank you all enough for all the wonderful reviews, favorites, and subscriptions.

I love each and everyone of you so so sooooooo much!

You guys rock and are so amazing and none of this would have happened if it weren't for you!

Again, just thank you, thank you, thank you all sooooooo much!

And Please don't forget to review:)

* * *

Chapter 20: The End?

"Son of a bitch! Where is the end of this thing?!" Derrick barked as he sped his way down the underground tunnel that secret driveway led into.

The secret drive way led into an old underground tunnel that led out what appeared to be a large drainage pipe, to witch Derrick was now driving very fast and very furiously down. When he finally saw the light of day approaching, Derrick put the peddle to the metal and flew out of the tunnel like a bat straight out of hell.

Derrick then continues down the road to his escape, the airport.

Derrick adjusted his rear view mirror to keep an eye on his captive in the backseat.

Dave was sitting in the seat, quietly sobbing with curled up with his head drawn into his knees. He had never felt so powerless, and so stupid in his life.

'How, how could I have possibly think that Bro didn't want me anymore? Bro loves me, he would never do anything to hurt me. Why didn't I listen to him?!'

Dave then pokes his head up just enough to see Derrick's face in the rear view mirror,

'And why did I listen to him?!'

Dave gave the man a death glare, but he really didn't know who he was more angry with at this moment. His father for turning his life into a living hell; or himself, who he felt like let it all happen.

'If I had just said no that first time, then maybe none of this would have ever happened. Claudia would still be alive and I'd be with my bro right now.'

Dave quickly placed his head back between his knees as he felt the tears starting to roll down his bruised face again. He just wanted to be left alone to wallow in his own self pity.

Derrick looked the rear view mirror when he heard a small sniffle coming from the boy tied up in his back seat. Seeing his son in such conflicting distress cause a smirk to grow on the elder man's face.

"Aww, don't be so gloom David. Cheer up! Just think, by tonight, we'll be in the tropical paradise of the Dominican Republic. And we won't have to worry about that meddling brother of your's anymore," Derrick 'tried' to cheer his youngest son up. But if anything it only made the pit in his stomach grow deeper.

'Oh no! Bro, I know you're right behind us! Please hurry!' Dave's mind raced faster than Derrick driving down the road.

* * *

Dirk was right behind them. He was now going into the triple digits and was stead fast approaching them.

"Alright you son of bitch! I got you now! You ain't getting away this time! The only place you'll be going is straight to hell!" Dirk said as he got right behind Derrick.

If it was just Derrick in the vehicle ahead of him, Dirk would have rode right up beside him and forced him off the road. But with Dave being held captive by him, Dirk knew that if he done so, he would be playing Russian Roulette with his beloved brother's life.

Instead, Dirk sped up the car enough to give the Escalade a little shove.

* * *

Derrick felt a jolt and adjusted his rear view mirror back toward the road behind him when he saw a silver Mercedes tailing him. And seeing the car's driver made Derrick's smirk grow wider.

"Well at that David, your dear brother has come to send us off," Derrick said as he speeds up.

Dave looked behind them and saw his brother driving furiously towards them.

"BRO!" Dave desperately tried to cry through tape covering his mouth. He sat up and looked out the back window to the speeding car behind them.

* * *

"DAVE!" Bro cried as he saw a small figure in the back seat of the Escalade through the tented windows.

Dirk punched it and gave the Escalade another jolt.

The jolt would have sent Dave over the edge of the back sear and into the trunk, had Derrick not grabbed ahold of him by this leg.

"You need to hold still David. There is bad curve up here near the docks where many people have been killed," Derrick's smirk widened, "and if you're brother doesn't slow down, then he will be one of them." Suddenly, Derrick's hand began to travel up Dave's leg

"And then you will be all mine," Derrick grinned, looking at Dave.

Dave's bloodshot red eyes were glowing with the anger of a raging fire. He couldn't change what his father had already done to him in the past, but he could stop it from continuing in the future.

Dave jerked his leg back and kicked his father in the face as hard as he could. Derrick's head hit the driver's side window and before he had time to react, Dave slung his bound arms underneath him, tore the duck tape off of his mouth, and flung his arms over Derrick's head and face.

"LET GO OF ME YOU LITTLE BITCH!" Derrick cried as he let go of the wheel to pry his son's arms off from around his face.

With Derrick fighting to get out of Dave's grasp, the car drove uncontrollably towards the docks. Dave let go of his father and ducked behind his seat when he saw what they were fixing to crash right into. Derrick looked ahead and slammed on the breaks. But the car was going too fast.

The vehicle crashed into and came to fault into a boat house.

* * *

Other than a few more bumps and bruises, Dave was okay tucked in between his father's seat and the back seat.

Derrick on the other hand, not so much.

The shock of the crash caused Derrick's air bag to deploy, and in saving him from flying out the window, it broke his nose. And the pressure from the air bag didn't help his new concussion from the kick to the face much either.

Derrick grabbed his knife he tucked away in the side console and kicked his door open and stumbled his way out of the vehicle.

Before Dave could do anything, the passenger door flung open and Dave was drug out of the vehicle by his hair by a very, VERY pissed off Derrick.

Derrick hoisted the kicking boy up and silenced his screaming by placing the knife back to his throat once more.

"GIVE ME ONE GOOD REASON WHY I SHOULDN'T SLICE YOUR HEAD OFF RIGHT NOW!" Derrick growled as he looked down him Dave's terrified eyes.

Dave just stared into his father's eyes, hoping that if any sympathy dwelled within the man that it would be felt right now.

Any sympathy that Derrick Strider ever felt was long gone, he raised his arm to embed the knife in his son's throat when,

"DERRICK!"

Derrick looked up and saw his eldest son running at him full speed with sword in hand ready to strike.

Derrick smirked as he dug the knife a little into Dave's throat and covered his screams by placing his hand over his mouth.

Seeing Derrick's actions made Dirk stop dead in his tracks.

"DERRICK! LET HIM GO, OR I SWEAR TO GOD I'LL," Dirk raised his sword once again.

"Now Dirk, I watch what you do with that thing," Derrick warned, "It might miss it's intended target and young David here will pay the price," Derrick said backing up.

In fear for his brother's life, Dirk lowers his sword and takes a few steps back.

Seeing how any move that he made just made Derrick back up further and further away, and without Jane or any other reinforcements, Dirk tried a different approach.

"Derrick, Dad, place listen to me. I'm begging you, PLEASE let Dave go," Dirk tried to reason with his crazed father, "He's all I've got left Dad! He's my life, my everything! After Mom died, Dave is my very reason to live! I don't know what I would do without him Dad! Please Dad, just drop the knife and hand him over to me. Just let him go and this can all end peacefully," Dirk slowly approached as he tried to talk some sense into his deranged father.

But some men, you just can't reason with.

As the three heard sirens approaching, Derrick backed up to the end of the pier and made his discussion.

"That is all very touching son, but you see if I can't have David," Derrick raised the knife to Dave's throat again, "then no one can!"

Dave screamed as he saw his fate rise into the air. He closed his eyes and took one last breath, expecting it to be his last when,

He heard a blood curdling scream as he was thrown to the ground.

Dave turned his head and saw brother standing behind their father with a bloody sword and their father knelled down to the ground in agony. And right next to his father, was a bloody knife wielding arm.

Dirk had flashed stepped behind Derrick in the knick of time and severed the hand that almost took his baby brother's life.

With Dave now safe and out of the clutches of their father, Dirk unleashed the wrath he's been holding in for far too long.

* * *

Dirk went the very definition of the word 'berserk' on Derrick. He could have simply risen his sword and ended his life the way that Derrick was fixing to end Dave's, but that would have been too easy. Like with James and Austin, Dirk wanted Derrick to suffer as long and painfully as humanly possible.

By the time Dirk had unleashed his total vengeance on the man, Derrick was barely a recognizable human being.

His face was literally beaten in and little if any teeth remained in his mouth. Well over 50% of his blood was spewed everywhere within a 6 feet radius. Dirk broke both of his legs and remaining arm, and kicked his chest plate into his lungs. Just as Derrick was clinging onto life, Dirk made his final blow.

He lifted up his sword and plunged it into his father's shoulder. With the sword, he lifted the man over the end of the pier.

"Any last words?" Dirk asked his father before throwing him over the edge.

"You, you wouldn't kill your own father would you?" Derrick somehow managed to speak.

"I don't have a father!" Dirk said as he kicked the man off of his sword and into the depths below just as Jane and the rest of the police arrived.

With Derrick now gone, the two brother's bolted toward each other.

"BRO!"

"DAVE!"

The two brothers ran to each other and embraced one another in each other's arms.

Dirk slung his arms around his baby brother and fell to the ground as he engulfed him in a bone crushing hug.

"Oh my God, Dave!" Dirk cried as he smothered his baby brother's head and face with kisses, "Are you, are you okay?! Oh my God, I was so scared, I was so scared I was going to loose you! Oh my God, Dave, I'm so sorry!" Dirk cried into his brother's hair.

Dave slung his now free arms over his brother's head and held onto him for dear life. He cried into his brother's shoulder.

"Bro! I'm so sorry Bro! I didn't mean all those thing I said to you! I'm so sorry, I, I didn't know! Please forgive me!" Dave cried.

"You listen to me!" Dirk looked his brother dead in the eyes, "Don't you DARE apologize! This is all my fault! If i hadn't had let that man into our lives, none of this would have ever happened!"

"It's not your fault, Bro. You didn't know that he would go this far," Dave buried his head into his brother's chest.

"I love you Bro," Dave sniffled.

"I love you too Little Man, more than you will ever know," Dirk said kissing the top of Dave's head.

* * *

"DIRK! DAVE!" Jane cried as she rushed toward the two brothers, "Oh my God, Dave! Are you okay?" Jane cried as she kneeled down beside the two brothers and slung her arms over Dave and embraced him a huge warm hug.

"I'm okay now, Jane," Dave said returning the hug.

"That's good, I'm so glad. Me and your brother were so worried about you!" Jane said tearing up.

"Dirk, we need to take him to the hospital. He needs to be checked out," Jane informed Dirk as she saw the cuts and bruises that adorned Dave's face, neck, and abdomen.

"Right," Dirk said picking up his brother and carried him to the awaiting ambulance.

Jane watched as Dirk climbed into the ambulance with Dave, absolutely refusing to leave his brother's side for a moment. She told Dirk she would be over there as soon as she could. Right then, she has some stuff to take care of.

* * *

"Okay, Dave. Your chest x-rays came back okay, nothing broken or fractured from the crash. And all the cuts and bruises are superficial and they should all feel up nicely in about a week. However, I'm gonna give you a pain medication. And if everything goes well, you can go home in a couple of hours," the doctor informed Dave and Dirk after he finished the examination.

Dirk breathed a sigh of relief, he had been so afraid that Dave might have injured something when Derrick's Escalade crashed into the boat house.

"Do you need anything else?" the doctor asked before leaving the room.

"No Sir, we've got all we need," Dirk said kissing Dave on top of the forehead.

The doctor smiled as he walked out the door.

* * *

A couple of hours later, when Jane walked in the door of the hospital room, she saw both Dirk and Dave fast asleep on the bed in each other's arms. Jane knew they both were exhausted, especially Dirk, the poor man hadn't had any rest in almost a week since this while mess started. She knew this was the best sleep that he's gotten in a long time.

Jane tiptoed over toward the two brothers and kissed both of them on the cheek.

"Jane?" Dirk groggily opened his eyes, "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything is great. I just got back from the U.S. Embassy and they are not going to press charges on you for killing Derrick and beating Nickel and Johnson. What we found on all their computers was way more than anything we thought and so they are not even going to bother charging you for what you did. And, they found about half a dozen murders dating back from the past 30 years that were linked to Derrick," Jane informed Dirk, "And after all the back taxes, all of Derrick's money and assets will be given to you and Dave."

Dirk was shocked, he didn't know what to say, except,

"Thank you Janey, for everything. You pulled me together when I was falling apart and sticking with me through the very end. I can never thank you enough that!" Dirk poured his heart out to the woman and embraced her in a huge hug.

"Do not think anything of it," Jane graciously returned the hug.

"Bro?" Dave sleepily called out for his brother.

"I'm right here Dave," Dirk pulling Dave into his lap, immediately turning his attention back to his baby brother.

"Is it time to go home yet?" Dave tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes.

"Yes it is," the doctor said entering into the room and handed Dirk Dave's release forms.

"Good, I'm ready to go home! I want a good ole' Texas bacon cheeseburger the size of my head," Dave said.

Dave, Jane and even the doctor laughed a bit.

"Okay, young man, you're all set to go. And go easy on that bacon cheeseburger," the doctor chuckled.

"Sorry, no can-do Doc," Dave said.

"Oh Dave, before we leave. There is someone you might want to meet," Jane told Dave.

"Really? Who?", Dave looked at her confused.

* * *

"Hello Dave!" Claudia chirped as Dave was wheeled into her room.

Dave stood there, or sat there rather, with his mouth wide open. He couldn't believe it, he though Claudia was dead!

"Oh my God! Claudia!" Dave jumped out of his wheel chair and ran up to the women sitting up in her bed and gave her a big hug.

"Claudia, I thought you were..."

"Oh it takes alot more than that to get rid of me!" Claudia smiled, "I'm so happy you're safe Dave. I was so worried about you," Claudia graciously returned the hug.

Claudia looked up and saw Dirk standing in the doorway, "Oh it's you! Dave this fine gentleman must be your brother. You two look so much a like," Claudia smiled, "You know something Dave, your brother saved my life. I was in the trunk of my car, the smoke was so heavy I couldn't breathe and your brother got me out of the trunk and saved my life."

Dirk smiled as he approached the two, "Thank you so much Claudia; if it wasn't for you, this moment wouldn't be what it is right now."

"No dear, if it wasn't for you, I'd be a goner, and then Dave would still be in the hands of those monsters," Claudia tearfully, "And by the way, what happened to Derrick?"

"I sent his ass straight to hell," Dirk said.

"Good," Claudia admitted

"Claudia, it was honor to meet you, and I'm sorry we couldn't have originally met under better circumstances, but we've got a long way home," Dirk said putting his hand on Dave's shoulder.

"Oh I understand completely dear and the pleasure is all mine. Maybe we all can meet up again someday," Claudia said.

"Good bye Claudia, thank you so much for everything," Dave said leaning down to give her one last hug.

"Oh good bye my darling, I'll be sure to keep in touch," Claudia returned the hug.

Dave and Claudia waved goodbye to one another as they parted their ways.

"You ready to go home Little Man," Dirk said, ruffling his brother's hair as they all boarded the plane bound for Houston.

"Oh man, you have no idea," Dave said ready to get life back on track. He couldn't wait to finally be back at home with his bro again.

* * *

6 months later:

6 months had passed since the Strider brother's ordeal with their father changed their lives forever. Things have changed for the better. The two were now more closer than ever, the two were now more open about their feelings and didn't try to hide their emotions as much. Sure around the public the two played their poker face like nothing had ever happened; but when the door to the Strider residence closed, the two just let them be themselves.

For the first two weeks after they returned home, the two brother's were almost scared to leave each other's sight. And even still when Dirk turns his head and doesn't see Dave, his heart skips a couple of beats.

Like he and his brother, Dave and his friends have grown closer than ever. This whole experience made them realize that they can't take one another for granted; that in just a blink of the eye, life could easy snatch them away. During the summer, they were always over at somebody else's house, mostly John's. And whenever they were all together, they called themselves 'The Dynamic Cautro'.

Things have extremely well for Dirk and Jane. The two were now officially an item and there has been talk and whispers around their little group that they'll soon be hearing wedding bells.

Derrick's business partners were all arrested and are now all serving life sentences. And the last thing Dave heard anything about them was the internet article reading that both James and Austin were killed by their fellow inmates when they learned they molested and tried to rape a 13 year old boy.

Derrick's company ended up taking a nose dive after everything came into light and went out of business.

As for Derrick's assets, after all the all the back taxes, frauds, and of course legal fees; that left the Strider siblings with 3.6 million, each.

Needless to say that both Dirk and Dave were now living very comfortably. The two had talked about moving to a bigger, nicer apartment; but at the moment, they were fine where they were.

Dave and Claudia are now good friends frequently write each other. Claudia is doing well with a full bill of health and is now residing in an stately home in Aspen, Colorado. She even invited Dave, Dirk, and Jane to come stay with her during Christmas. The Striders decided to take her up on her offer.

"Bro, I'm gonna go mail Claudia's Christmas card to let her know that we are coming," Dave poked his head inside of his brother's room.

"Wait Little Man, let me go with you," Dirk said looking up from his computer.

"It's okay Bro. The mail box is just down the street," Dave said.

"Are you sure you don't want me to go with you," even after 6 months, Dirk was still afraid to let his brother go out without him. But, Dirk couldn't shelter him forever, and he knew that.

"I'm sure Bro."

"Alright, if you're not back in ten minutes I'm coming to look for ya," Dirk forewarned.

"Yeah yeah yeah," Dave said as he walked out the door.

Dave took the elevator until he reached the main floor. When he exited the elevator, he wasn't exactly looking where he was going and bumped into a tall man wearing a trench coat.

"Oh excuse me sir, I didn't...see...where..."

Dave stopped in the middle of his sentence as he looked up at the tall man and saw a very familiar, very dreaded face. Dave could see through the outline of the trench coat that the man was missing his arm almost up to his elbow. Dave freezes in fear as the man finally says, "Hello David, it's been a while."

* * *

Bet nobody was expecting that now were they?

Me and an awesome friend of mine on here, you know who you are, talked about this idea that I had for an upcoming Homestuck story. And due to my pervy fangirlness self, this story will contain MPREG!

So, what do you guys think. Do y'all like the idea? Do you want to hear it? If you want more detains on it, just message me and I'll give you some of the details. Wouldn't want to give away spoilers now would we?

Anyway, thank you so much for sticking with me to the very end!

Again, I love you all sooooo much:)!

Now if you don't excuse me, I've been working on this chapter for 9 hours, I'm going to go to sleep now.

This is Autumn Artist, signing out.


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